By LACW Simone Liebelt and CPL Sean Burton
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Sergeant
Daniel Harrison and Leading Aircraftman Mark Walker monitor
the progress of a UAV in the Solomons. Photo by CPL Sean
Burton
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IN
a first for the Air Force, three members deployed to the Solomon
Islands are assessing live images beamed back by Unmanned Aerial
Vehicles (UAVs).
As the only Air Force members of the 15-person Uninhabited Aerial
Vehicle (UAV) detachment, Sergeant Daniel Harrison, Leading Aircraftman
Mark Walker and Flying Officer Daryl Bossert are analysing imagery
during – rather than after – flying missions.
The detachment, also consisting of Army personnel from the 131
Surveillance and Target Acquisition Battery and 161 Air Reconnaissance
Squadron and scientists from the Defence Science and Technology
Organisation (DSTO), is operating four UAVs out of Henderson Airfield
near Honiara on Guadalcanal Island.
The
aircraft are part of the Project Nervana developmental program,
run by DSTO and looking at many aspects of automating the battlefield.
UAV
image analysis is a first
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Part
of the Air Force contingent in the Solomons, No. 386 Expeditionary
Combat Support Squadron aircraft load team members Leading
Aircraftmen Chad Dalton and Raymond Benson at work at Henderson
Airfield.
Photo by CPL Sean Burton
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The
UAVs are equipped with sensor and communications equipment and
carry out aerial surveillance and reconnaissance missions to provide
information to assist Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands
operations in re-establishing law and order.
With expertise in intelligence gathering and familiarity with
mission planning and mission support from their association with
the F-111, SGT Harrison and LAC Walker help identify equipment
and activities on the ground directly from video imagery from
the UAVs in flight.
The UAVs can provide real-time information on tasks such as observing
vessels, isolated settlements or the remote Solomon Island coastlines.
Australian Theatre Joint Intelligence Centre Target Analysis Facility
(ASTJIC-TAF) Officer in Charge Lieutenant Colonel Scott Hatfield
(USAF) said while Geospatial Imagery Intelligence Analysts (GIAs)
had worked with the Global Hawk, this detachment was the first
time video imagery had been analysed from a UAV.
“Video is something very new for us. We’re used to looking
at still pictures, whereas video tends to bring the here-and-now
right up close,” he said. “It also allows the Commander
in the Solomons to be able to understand a little bit more about
the intent of the activities. We can track it, and maybe highlight
patterns of what’s going on.”
Senior GIA Warrant Officer Dave White, of ASTJIC-TAF, said the
operational tasks being undertaken in the Solomons were distinctively
different to that usually undertaken by Air Force GIAs.
“Normally our work is not near real-time. This is the first
time that we’re actually doing things in a near real-time
environment, feeding information back to the commander which then
has the possibility to drive ground operations,” WOFF White
said.
“It’ll be interesting to see where the shortcomings
are and whether it impacts on our training.”
Major Nathan Loynes, Detachment Commander of the UAVs in the Solomons,
said the UAVs had “been able to provide us with excellent
imagery and associated information”.
The Operation Helpem Fren/Anode deployment will provide critical
data and experience to support the ongoing development of Defence’s
future UAV programs – which could be introduced into the
ADF by 2007 – such as the Army’s Tactical UAV program
and the Global Hawk system.
For
further information on JP129 Airborne Surveillance for Land Operations
project see the following web sites:
DMO
Intranet: http://stagedao.cbr.defence.gov.au/aad/aewcdivision/jp129/index.html
Internet: http://www.defence.gov.au/dmo
The
manufacturer, Aerosonde:
www.aerosonde.com.au
