Defence Business: AUVS-A - a new chapter for Australia's UAV industry | ADM Apr 2011

Gregor Ferguson | Melbourne

This year’s pre-Avalon AUVS-A (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems - Australia) conference in Melbourne was the first since the formation of the Australian Chapter last year. But the message from Defence wasn’t encouraging for local firms.

The ADF is an “educated customer” for UAVs; it seeks “compelling capability advantages” from employing them; and Australia is a “buyer, not a builder” of UAVs. Those were among the key messages from the keynote and ADF speakers at the AUVS-Australia Unmanned Systems Conference, held in Melbourne in the lead up to the Avalon air show.

The strong impression from ADF and Customs/Border Protection Command (BPC) speakers was that the Australian government is a cautious buyer of UAVs. Not only is it risk-averse, its expectations of value for money are such that there remains something of a default preference for manned systems, notwithstanding the success of UAVs such as the Heron and ScanEagle in Afghanistan.

The Day 2 Keynote address was by Air Commander Ken Watson, Commander Northern Command (NORCOM) and Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 639 (JTF639). JTF639 is commanded by the head of BPC, Rear Admiral Tim Barrett, and is responsible for surveillance and security of some 15.5 million square miles, roughly 10 per cent of the earth’s surface.

Customs and BPC have conducted numerous UAV trials to date and found that smaller UAVs, while capable of being launched from a Customs patrol vessel, were too slow, had too small a payload – and crucially lacked a radar – while lacking real-time data and imagery download. Recovery was also a challenge requiring considerable operator skill in many cases. Larger UAVs, on the other hand, are land-based, expensive and come with a large and costly support ‘tail’.

The various trials have helped refine and validate BPC’s core requirements: a sensor suite (including a radar) capable of sea surface search as well as air search; a platform capable of operating safely at altitudes as low as 500-1,500ft; near- or real-time imagery downloads; and high fidelity sensors able to provide evidentiary quality images and data. In poor or marginal weather the manned surveillance platform is more versatile

Within the context of Operation Resolute, the whole of government effort to protect Australia’s borders and maritime interests, the UAV cost/capability matrix doesn’t match the BPC’s budget and assets, Watson told the conference. Quite simply, they don’t provide best value for money.

The ADF’s hesitant approach to unmanned systems, and specially UAVs, is evident in the fact that UAV technology is not a Priority or Strategic Industry capability (PIC or SIC). This default policy decision means that Australia is a buyer and not a builder of UAVs, according to Dr Peter Maguire, director of emerging integrated systems in Capability Development Group. This directorate, which grew from CDG’s work on the ADF’s UAV Road Map (which still hasn’t been published), is responsible for all unmanned systems.

Dr Maguire’s priorities are, first, to ensure the success of unmanned systems already in service and make sure they are used successfully; explore opportunities where unmanned systems can deliver genuine benefits, and identify long-term opportunities beyond the current DCP. Fundamentally, the ADF “seeks compelling capability advantages” from unmanned systems, Maguire told the conference, with a focus on supporting knowledge-based decision-making.

This was reflected in Wing Commander David Riddel’s presentation on the RAAF’s Project Nankeen which highlighted the fact this Rapid Directed Acquisition was begun in mid-2009 and saw the first Heron UAV arrive at Kandahar in December 2009. By the end of December 2010 it had achieved over 3,600 flight hours, and was feeding intelligence and imagery to war fighters through a RAAF-developed intelligence cell at the base. Project Nankeen was described in detail last month in the March 2011 edition of ADM.

By contrast, Army has been slow to introduce UAVs despite years of experimentation. The Army’s hand held UAV experimentation program since 2000-01 has tested the Codarra Avatar CX-1, the Aerosonde (which saw active service in Solomon Islands), the Israeli Raven and Skylark lightweight UAVs (which were both used operationally in the Middle East) and the WASP mini-UAV. The latter three were intended to be man-packed by infantry soldiers as an adjunct to their own ISR assets.

Major Keirin Joyce of  the TUAV Implementation Team at Army HQ made the point that man-portable is not the same as man-packable. Smaller and lighter is better, as is a choice of interchangeable payloads. The UAV must be tough and needs to be simple – if possible with an Automatic Take-Off and Landing system to reduce the risk of damage. Also essential is either a forward Ground Control Station, or the ability for remote viewing by section and platoon commanders.

This cautious approach reflects both heard-earned operational experience in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as the lessons from the first iteration of JP 129. But, ironically considering this was the first AUVS conference in Australia since the formation of the local chapter, it offers no comfort to the local UAV industry.

Dr Maguire said the ADF’s baseline for future UAVs will be Off the Shelf systems, explicitly avoiding platform and payload integration risks. This has obvious implications for the local UAV industry, he acknowledged: its best prospects lie in sustaining and supporting in-service UAVs in Australia, or in seeking to partner on large overseas UAV programs.

The Australian chapter of the AUVS was only formed in August last year and notwithstanding the downbeat message from Defence and BPC, it already has over 100 members. Its newly appointed CEO is Canadian remote sensing specialist Peggy MacTavish whose Brisbane office is co-located with the Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation.

She told ADM the industry in Australia embraces unmanned ground and marine vehicles and a range of civil industry sectors such as mining, environmental monitoring and disaster relief as well as defence and national security. The industry is starting to take off in Australia and AUVSI-A’s goal is to grow its combined turnover well beyond the $100 million mark, MacTavish says.

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