Volume 48, No. 21, November 16, 2006
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HAWK EYE: The Predator B Unmanned Aerial Vehicle flying off the Adelaide coast during the North-West Shelf Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Trial
Photo by CPL Pete Gammie |
By Darryl Johnston
THE Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has successfully completed a Defence trial aimed at assessing the ability of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to perform maritime surveillance over Australia’s vast North-West Shelf.
The North-West Shelf Trial (NWST) was conducted in two phases. The first phase involved a Mariner Demonstrator unmanned aerial system in Australia, and the second phase was a modelling and simulation trial conducted in San Diego, California.
During phase one, the UAV worked with the Armidale-class patrol boat HMAS Pirie, Coastwatch aircraft and assets from the Pilbara Regiment to conduct surveillance and response missions. RAAF Base Edinburgh was the primary mission control site while the aircraft was airborne.
The UAV flew four missions over the North-West Shelf, operating out of RAAF Base Learmonth, before returning to Edinburgh. Individual sorties varied from between two to three hours to more than 20 hours. The UAV undertook a range of surveillance activities and collected data on vessels operating in, or passing through, Australia’s north-west maritime approaches.
Data collected was transmitted to a ground station at Edinburgh for analysis, with the crew coordinating the UAV’s operations with the patrol boat to assess how well the two could operate together to provide an effective maritime surveillance capability.
Trial Executive Authority and DSTO’s Deputy Chief Defence Scientist Dr Ian Sare said the NWST was a cross-Defence effort led by DSTO, which drew on its experience of the successful Global Hawk deployment in 2001.
“[The trial’s] purpose was to assess the maritime surveillance potential of unmanned aerial vehicles to operate with Armidale-class patrol boats in providing an enhanced layer of security in Australia’s northern approaches,” Dr Sare said.
“It will also enable Defence to make a practical assessment of the utility of UAVs as one component of an integrated national surveillance network, and assess the procedures and practices for sharing surveillance information among government agencies to develop a whole-of-government response to Australia’s national security needs,” he said.
The trials will provide several benefits for the government, including data to assist Defence in developing its requirements to acquire a long-endurance, multi-mission unmanned aerial system under Project AIR 7000 Phase One.
They will also assist the Border Protection Command, Immigration, Fisheries and Quarantine services to assess the value of using UAVs for civilian coastal surveillance and border protection.
Dr Sare said while successful, the trial proved complex, with the most significant challenge setting the UAV to work with a fully integrated maritime surveillance radar and in establishing the ground environment to run the trial.
“Defence’s requirement was for a medium or high-altitude, long-endurance UAV with the same type of Elta maritime radar used on the AP-3Cs,” Dr Sare said.
“General Atomics had not previously integrated this particular radar on the UAV, so they and Elta spent a great deal of effort to get a successful, workable system.”
Trial Director GPCAPT Bill Spears said the trial was an outstanding success, with all aims achieved.
“I was particularly impressed with how the whole team worked together to develop an excellent rapport and safety record based on sound aviation culture and professionalism,” he said.
“The experience gained will no doubt enhance both the acquisition and introduction into service processes.”
DSTO is now preparing a report to present to government by the end of the year.
