Babcock Australasia (Babcock) and US-based PteroDynamics Inc. have showcased unmanned aerial system (UAS) technology to the Australian Defence Force (ADF), in support of the military’s growing pursuit of autonomous platforms.
“Demand for autonomous VTOL UAS platforms is increasing globally. Babcock has developed a robust regional assessment capability to identify, evaluate and test a wide range of autonomous platforms to find the right solutions for our customers’ needs," Babcock Australasia Managing Director of Aviation & Critical Services, Duncan Milne, said.
Held in April, the demonstration to Royal Australian Navy (RAN) personnel saw PteroDynamics’ Transwing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS complete a series of aerial tasks illustrating its endurance, performance over water, and ability to launch, transit, and recover various payloads within confined areas. Its speed passes and high-rate-of-climb capabilities were also displayed.
“We have been working with the US Navy since 2019 to automate just-in-time maritime delivery and resupply of critical repair cargo, and those efforts culminated in the successful sea trials of the P4 Transwing during the RIMPAC 2024 Exercise. The P5 will be a significant leap forward," PteroDynamics Vice President of Engineering, Tim Whitehead, stated. “We welcome the opportunity to work with Babcock to build an Australian solution to meet the specific requirements of the Royal Australian Navy.”
The Transwing has been created to execute long-range tactical shore-to-ship, ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore deliveries of critical repair cargo in contested environments.
The aerial display follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Babcock and PteroDynamics in November to pursue joint contract opportunities within the defence and civil sectors across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific.
It also comes soon after the expansion of PteroDynamics’ Blue Water Logistics UAS contract with the United States Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to design, develop, and demonstrate a next-generation version of the Transwing. The P5 prototype will include enhanced range, payload capacity, and durability for maritime operations.