Unmanned Vehicles - February/March 2014

Empire building
China stamps authority on unmanned technology

Volume 19 Number 1
February/March 2014
INVISIBLE
TOUCH
Hyperspectral imaging
A MATTER
OF COURSE
Precision UGV navigation
www.UVonline.com
STEMMING
THE TIDE
Harbour protection
UV_FebMar14_Cover.indd 1 29/01/2014 12:53:14
UV_FebMar14_IFC.indd 2 29/01/2014 12:54:01
26
CONTENTS
1
3 Editorial Comment
Will China become the next dominant superpower?
Editor Andrew White ponders whether the
technology is ready yet.
News
4 French Reapers deploy to Africa
A review of some of the latest developments
from around the unmanned systems industry.
12 A great leap forward?
Is China finally poised to emerge as a serious
military and commercial force in the unmanned
systems domain? Gordon Arthur weighs up the
evidence.
16 Diverse demand
A heady cocktail of territorial disputes, internal
unrest, geographical realities and environmental
challenges is driving UAS procurement across
South and Southeast Asia, finds Neelam Mathews.
21 Stemming the tide
The role of unmanned vehicles in the maritime
security domain is steadily increasing as agencies
realise their full potential. Claire Apthorp considers
how using multiple layers of these assets can
significantly boost protection levels.
26 Invisible touch
Hyperspectral imaging is gathering pace in the
military sphere. Beth Stevenson looks at how
industry is integrating this valuable technology
into current and future ISTAR systems.
33 A matter of course
Complementing the thriving UGV industry is a
subsystems sector that seeks innovation in
high-precision positioning devices. Scott R Gourley
explores recent developments.
39 Civil servants
Beyond their typical military operating
environment, UAS are seeing increasing demand
from parapublic operators. Andrew White takes a
look at this emerging marketplace.
44 Interview
AVM Phil Osborn, capability director, Joint Forces
Command, UK MoD, explains to Andrew White
how UK air operations will benefit from an
increasing use of unmanned systems.
Editor
Andrew White.
andrew.w@shephardmedia.com
+44 1753 727023
North America Editor
Scott R Gourley.
scott.g@shephardmedia.com
Senior Reporter
Beth Stevenson.
beth.s@shephardmedia.com
Business Reporter
Joyce de Thouars
joyce.t@shephardmedia.com
Contributors
Claire Apthorp, Gordon Arthur,
Pieter Bastiaans, Angus Batey,
Peter Donaldson, Neelam Mathews,
Richard Scott, Matthew Smith,
Tom Withington
Production Department Manager
David Hurst.
david.h@shephardmedia.com
Sub-editor
Adam Wakeling
Head of Advertising Sales
Mike Wild.
mike.w@shephardmedia.com
+44 1753 727007
Junior Sales Executive
Anna Ng.
anna.n@shephardmedia.com
Editor-in-Chief
Tony Skinner
Managing Director
Darren Lake
Chairman
Nick Prest
Subscriptions
Annual rates start at 65
Tel: +44 1858 438879,
Fax: +44 1858 461739
shephardgroup@subscription.co.uk
www.subscription.co.uk/shephard
Unmanned Vehicles is published six times
per year in February/March, April/May, June/
July, August/September, October/November
and December/January by
The Shephard Press Ltd,
268 Bath Road, Slough, Berks, SL1 4DX.
Subscription records are maintained at
CDS Global, Tower House, Lathkill Street,
Sovereign Park, Market Harborough,
Leicestershire, LE16 9EF, UK.
Air Business Ltd is acting as mailing agent.
Articles contained in this publication may
not be reproduced in any form without the
written permission of the publishers.
The Shephard Press Ltd, 2014.
ISSN 1351-3478
DTP Vivid Associates, Sutton, Surrey, UK
Print Williams Press, Maidenhead,
Berks, UK
The Shephard Press Ltd,
268 Bath Road, Slough,
Berkshire, SL1 4DX
Tel: +44 1753 727001
Fax: +44 1753 727002
Front cover: Stamp of approval Chinas indigenous design and manufacturing capability. (Image: istockphoto)
Subscriptions
Shephards aerospace and defence publishing portfolio incorporates seven titles:
Defence Helicopter, Digital Battlespace, International Maritime & Port Security, Land
Warfare International, Military Logistics International, Rotorhub and Unmanned Vehicles.
Published bi-monthly or quarterly, each is respected and renowned for covering
global issues within its respective industry sector.
For more information, including editorial content of the current issues visit:
shephardmedia.com/magazines.
Subscribe today via: www.subscription.co.uk/shephard or +44 (0)1858 438879
www.UVonline.com
Volume 19 Number 1 | February/March 2014 | UNMANNED Vehicles www.UVonline.com
UV_FebMar14_p01_Contents.indd 1 29/01/2014 12:56:37
MULTI-MISSION CAPABLE
COST-EFFECTIVE
Predator XP
Predator-series proven performance with over 2 million flight hours
Unrivalled reliability and unmatched affordability
Precision capability to detect, identify, and track time-sensitive targets, anytime, anywhere
Automatic Takeoff & Landing System (ATLS) for enhanced operational flexibility
Lynx Multi-mode Radar provides all-weather, day or night, wide field-of-view, photographic quality imagery
Maritime Radar mode with Automatic Identification System (AIS) for increased mission capability
Endurance of more than 30 hours and an operating radius of more than 1,000 nautical miles
Q
AERONAUTICAL
TYUIOP
2014 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Leading The Situational Awareness Revolution www.ga-asi.com
1401_Unmanned Vehicles (Feb-Mar).indd 1 1/20/14 4:09 PM
UV_FebMar14_p02.indd 2 29/01/2014 12:57:06
EDI TORIAL COMMENT
Out of the red
China. Some say it is destined to become the
dominant world superpower within the next
50 years. But if the Asian powerhouse is to live
up to this expectation, then a state-of-the-art
aerospace strategy is critical.
With its fifth-generation Chengdu J-20
fighter jet, which bears a striking resemblance
to the F-35 Lightning II, expected to become
operational some time between 2017 and
2019, the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force
has already taken a huge step in the right
direction.
In November 2013, Unmanned Vehicles
reported the maiden flight of the Lijian or
Sharp Sword UCAV. Once again, the platform
closely resembled Western offerings in the
form of the US X-47B, Europes Neuron and
the UKs Taranis.
A 20-minute sortie was all that was
required to arouse the attention of the
worlds media and air forces, with
commentators suggesting that the platform
would soon become Chinas first carrier-
based UCAV an unnerving proposition to
the countrys neighbours across the East
China Sea.
nn NEIGHBOUR DISPUTES
Tensions remain high between China and
Japan, with the former declaring an air
defence zone over the Diaoyu/Senkaku
Islands a territory disputed by both
countries. Chinese news organisation
Huanqiu also reported that the country was
looking to convert retired F-6 fighter aircraft
into unmanned platforms to patrol this area
of operations (AO) perhaps as a stop-gap
prior to Lijian becoming operational?
With Japan also ramping up its own
military activity in this AO, not to mention
reports of an appetite to counter Chinese
efforts with its own indigenously developed
unmanned systems, the worrying reality of an
unenviable arms race in the region could
easily escalate tensions, with dramatic
consequences.
However, such Chinese solutions have a
long way to go before the rest of the world
can consider them operationally mature.
Indeed, it will be interesting to see whether
Iran has elected to share information
gathered from its allegedly captured RQ-170
aircraft, which it has already expressed its
intention to unveil a reverse-engineered
version in time.
nn GOING DEEPER
In this first issue of UV in 2014, we delve
deeper into this emerging market in China
and look at the ramifications for the rest of the
Asia-Pacific region.
In a special report on p12, Gordon Arthur
considers Chinas indigenous unmanned
design and manufacturing capabilities in
both military and commercial capacities,
and asks whether this technology will soon
become a viable competitor to the cutting-
edge systems we routinely see coming out of
Israel or the US.
To quote a US Defense Study Board report
from 2012, we hear that China could easily
match or outpace US spending on unmanned
systems, rapidly close the technology gaps
and become a formidable global competitor
in unmanned systems.
Time will tell, but China certainly appears
to be on the right path to developing a
comprehensive suite of unmanned
technology. We look forward to covering such
developments and their implications in these
pages over the coming months and years.
Andrew White, Editor
n UCAVs
n Small AUVs
n Airspace integration
n Load-carrying UAVs
IN THE
NEXT
ISSUE
Unmanned Vehicles editorial team is
always happy to receive comments on
its articles and to hear readers views
on the issues raised in the magazine.
Contact details can be found on p1.
RESPONSE
3
UV_FebMar14_p03_Comment.indd 3 29/01/2014 12:57:38
4
NEWS
UNMANNED Vehicles | February/March 2014 | Volume 19 Number 1 www.UVonline.com
French Reapers will provide situation
awareness to troops tracking insurgents on
the ground in Mali. (Photo: French DGA)
UAVs set for Sochi security role
Russia is ramping up security ahead of the
Winter Olympics in Sochi, with UAVs due to
play an integral role in combating terrorism.
Although specific operational information
has not been published, Unmanned Vehicles
was informed that the Russian Ministry of
Internal Affairs (MVD) recently ordered
additional UAVs to be used specifically in the
Sochi area of operations.
The news followed a decision last May
which confirmed that Zala Aero would
provide unmanned systems for use at
the event.
The announcement comes against a
background of suicide bombings on 29 and
30 December in Volgograd, which killed some
34 people. Since then, Russia has been on
combat alert ahead of the games, which
are scheduled to start on 7 February.
It is understood that the attacks were
conducted by Chechen terrorists in an attempt
to stop the Winter Olympics taking place. The
head of the rebel group considered responsible,
Doku Umarov, pledged in an online video in June
that it would use maximum force to ensure that
the games did not go ahead. Notably, Chechnya
sits only 800km from Sochi.
Some 20 Zala systems made up of between
two and eight UAVs each are currently under
preparation and will be used during the event,
Nikita Zakharov, executive at the company,
told UV.
Although specifics were not disclosed, nor the
relationship of operations to the security alert in
Russia, he did note that the MVD recently ordered
two additional ZALA 421-22s to be used at Sochi,
and the 21 systems that it currently operates were
upgraded in anticipation of the event in 2013.
The Minister of Emergency Situations,
Vladimir Puchkov, also revealed in January
that drone departments will be set up in all
regions of the country, specifically for search
and rescue operations.
Special branches that will be equipped
with unmanned aerial vehicles and other
necessary robotic systems will be created in all
regions. We plan to make very active use of all
robotic technology, including drones, he told
media during a trip to Yekaterinburg.
As for the emergencies minister, this was
very much expected, Zakharov explained.
Based on the last three years, UAS have
shown efficiency [and] value for money in
cataclysmic events such as the flooding in
the east of the country or forest fires in the
Moscow region.
By Beth Stevenson, London
The first MQ-9 Reapers for the French Air Force
have arrived in the Sahel region of Africa ahead
of initial deployment in support of operations in
the area, the French MoD has revealed.
The aircraft are believed to have been
delivered at the end of December, after which
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian
officially accepted the system during a trip to
Niger on 1 January.
They were expected to become operational
in January to carry out anti-terrorism
surveillance, although the specific timeline had
yet to be revealed as Unmanned Vehicles went
to press.
This acquisition is intended to make up
for the delay in drone capabilities that France
had accumulated in recent years, an MoD
statement explained. The arrival of this first
UAV system is a result of the priority given to
intelligence in the White Paper on Defence and
National Security that was approved by the
President of the Republic on 29 April 2013.
The White Paper allows for the purchase of
four systems, each consisting of three aircraft
and a GCS.
They will complement the Harfang drones
that are already operating in various theatres,
the statement added. France thus reinforces its
significant intelligence capabilities in this part of
Africa. These drones will provide surveillance
and control over large areas and intelligence
against terrorist formations.
It was back in June that Le Drian described
aspirations to deploy Reapers to the Malian
Sahel, describing the move as an operational
necessity due to events in the country.
Since the US permitted FMS of the Reaper in
August 2013, the first six French pilots and
sensor operators from 1/33 Belfort Squadron
have been trained on the system at Holloman
AFB, New Mexico.
Despite praising the operational experience
that its European allies have had with the
Reaper, the French MoD did hint that the
imported system may just be a stop-gap,
referring to plans to jointly begin work that
could lead to a future European MALE UAV.
French Reapers
deploy to Africa
UV_FebMar14_p04-08_News.indd 4 29/01/2014 12:59:06
NEWS
5
FAA announces UAV test sites
On the web
GeoDragon sensor system
integrated with T-20 UAV
24 January 2014
University of Coimbra
focuses on
land mine clearance
23 January 2014
CAE to supply UAS mission
trainer to Italian Air Force
21 January 2014
UN Falco crashes in Congo
20 January 2014
French Army orders
additional Sperwer UAVs
15 January 2014
DCNS integrates UAV with
naval combat systems
10 January 2014
C-Enduro long-endurance
USV begins sea trials
8 January 2014
US Navy Triton UAS flight
trials making progress
7 January 2014
Global Hawk in Philippine
disaster relief efforts
6 January 2014
Visit
www.UVonline.com
for the full stories and latest news
The Committee on Commerce, Science and
Transportation, led by Senator Jay Rockefeller,
held a hearing on 15 January following the FAAs
announcement.
Some people dont think the FAA is moving fast
enough, Rockefeller explained. But I understand
why the FAA is carefully considering these questions.
Lives are at stake.
He noted that sense and avoid technology is one
challenge the unmanned sector faces, as well as the
perception that UAVs are military systems first and
foremost. He also highlighted the potential privacy
violations that surveillance could cause.
People are right to worry that drones in our
national airspace could be yet another way for
private companies to track where we are and what
we are doing.
Christopher Calabrese of the American Civil
Liberties Union added that although aerial
surveillance has been carried out by manned aircraft
for decades, allowing unmanned aircraft into the
NAS, plus the lower cost of UAVs, would lead to an
increase in this kind of activity.
We need a system of rules that complies with
the First and Fourth Amendments and ensures
that Americans can enjoy the benefits of drone
technology without bringing our country a large step
closer to a surveillance society in which every move
is monitored, tracked, recorded and scrutinised by
the authorities, he said.
The US FAA has finally selected the six operators to
run UAV test sites that will assist the integration of
unmanned systems into the national airspace (NAS),
following a delay of more than a year.
The winning bidders are: the University of
Alaska; the State of Nevada; Griffiss International
Airport, New York; the North Dakota Department
of Commerce; Texas A&M University; and
Virginia Tech.
A total of 25 proposals was submitted from 24
states in February 2013, with the six successful bids
being announced on 30 December. According to
its original timeline, the FAA had hoped to select the
winning parties as early as 2012.
Geographic and climatic diversity, ground
infrastructure and research requirements were
said to have been considered throughout the
decision-making process.
Across the six applicants, the FAA is confident that
the agencys research goals of system safety and data
gathering, aircraft certification, command and control
link issues, control station layout and certification,
ground and airborne sense and avoid, and
environmental impacts will be met, an FAA
statement read.
nn TAILORED SOLUTIONS
Each test site operator will manage it in such
a way that it will allow interested operators to use
its site, the agency continued. The FAAs role,
meanwhile, is to ensure that each site adheres
to strict safety standards.
The sites are not expected to grant UAVs instant
access to the NAS, and are aimed at facilitating the
generation of information and technology that will
assist in airspace integration in future.
The FAA aims to open up airspace to UAV
technology by 2015, although the previous delays
have already cast doubt over the likelihood of this. It
is estimated that this step will provide an economic
boost for the US, creating some 100,000 jobs and
generating over $82 billion in revenue.
On the back of the FAA decision, a Senate hearing
on the potential commercial use of UAVs has sparked
a debate over the viability of the technology in
the NAS.
The six testing sites were specifically selected
by the FAA to offer geographical and climatic
diversity. (Image: FAA)
6
NEWS
Iran clones RQ-170
Irans Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has
promised to unveil a reverse-engineered version
of the US stealth UAV which it claims to have
captured in 2011, local media have reported.
According to the FARS News Agency, the
commander of the IRGC Air Force, Brig Gen
Hossein Salami, announced that an Iranian
version of the US drone, RQ-170 will be
unveiled to the public soon. The construction of
this drone will finish soon and most of the job
has been done now.
In December 2011, Iranian authorities
claimed to have taken possession of a low-
observable ISR airframe, understood to be a
USAF RQ-170 Sentinel. Video footage was
released showing the fuselage of a UAV which,
according to unofficial reports, had strayed
across Afghanistans western border with Iran.
In October 2013, IRGC officials said the
reverse-engineering of the RQ-170 had
advanced Iranian UAV technology by as much
as 35 years, with one adding: The reverse-
engineering started immediately and the
Iranian type of the US drone will fly in Irans
aerospace organisation soon.
At the time of the purported capture, the US
Secretary of the Air Force refused to comment
on the situation, although officials did admit
that a UAV had gone missing. The Obama
administration then asked Iran to return
elements of the platform, but this request
was quickly dismissed by Salami.
nn WILD CLAIMS
However, despite Salamis claims, industry
experts remain cynical about Iranian efforts to
reverse-engineer one of the USAFs most
advanced unmanned systems.
George Lawrence, an associate at
Renaissance Strategic Advisors, told Unmanned
Vehicles: Whilst Iranian industry will have
extracted some benefit from the RQ-170, it is
highly unlikely that they have been able to fully
reverse-engineer all the key airframe, engine
and systems components. Iran has a long
history of bold claims about their defence and
aerospace technology developments, few of
which live up to the hype.
Furthermore, Douglas Barrie, senior fellow
for military aerospace at the International
Institute for Strategic Studies, told UV: Iran
may be able to wheel out something in the
shape of an RQ-170, but beyond that I very
much doubt it has been able to reverse-
engineer much from the US air vehicle in
developing anything of even a remotely
similar capability.
By Andrew White, London
The US has agreed to supply Iraqi security
forces with small and tactical UAVs under an
FMS deal to assist in the fight against al-Qaeda
affiliated militants.
On 6 January, White House press secretary
Jay Carney announced that ten Boeing Insitu
ScanEagle UAVs would be shipped to Iraq
in the short term, while 48 AeroVironment
Raven Bs will be supplied later in the year.
Later that month, fighters from the Islamic
State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) captured
positions at Ramadi and Fallujah in Anbar
province, some 100km to the west of Baghdad.
Secretary of State John Kerry has unequivocally
denied that US forces will be involved on the
ground. However, the UAVs will assist indigenous
troops in monitoring and targeting insurgents.
Carney said: Were working closely with the
Iraqis to develop a holistic strategy to isolate the
al-Qaeda affiliated groups, and we have seen
some early successes in Ramadi. This situation
remains fluid, and its too early to tell or make
conclusions about it. But were accelerating
our FMS deliveries.
Responding to the deal, a spokesperson for
Insitu told Unmanned Vehicles: Insitu responds
to capability requests from the US government
and fully supports their FMS decisions. The
company also confirmed that ten ScanEagles
would be shipped to Iraq, but was unable to
provide any additional details. AeroVironment
refused to comment on the deal.
However, a DoD spokesperson confirmed
that the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical
UAS Program Office (PMA-263), Naval Air
Systems Command and the USNs International
Program Office are responsible for coordinating
this latest FMS effort.
A navy spokesperson told UV: The [US] Army
is the current lead stabilisation service in Iraq
and coordinating host country activities.
It has yet to be confirmed how much the
FMS contract is worth, but it also includes a
number of Hellfire missiles which are expected
to be shipped as early as this spring, according
to Carney.
The ScanEagle and Raven B can be used for
over-the-hill surveillance and will allow Iraqi
security forces to monitor ISIL activity by day
and night in built-up areas.
By Andrew White, London
Washington approves Iraq UAS sale
The RQ-170 has operated out of Kandahar,
where it was tasked with covert surveillance
operations. (Photo: UV Picture Library)
+1 541 387 2120
info.cct@utas.utc.com
Download a free whitepaper:
www.cloudcaptech.com/SWaP
More Time
More Pixels
On Target
Cloud Cap Technologys TASE stabilized cameras
offer the lowest SWaP (Size, Weight and Power)
while providing unmatched pixels on target.
Visit us at FIDAE 2014, booth C5
+1 541 387 2120
info.cct@utas.utc.com
Download a free whitepaper:
www.cloudcaptech.com/SWaP
More Time
More Pixels
On Target
Cloud Cap Technologys TASE stabilized cameras
offer the lowest SWaP (Size, Weight and Power)
while providing unmatched pixels on target.
Visit us at FIDAE 2014, booth C5
8
NEWS
Armed Forces
Minister Mark
Francois discusses
the Royal Navys
ScanEagle UOR
with Cdr Bow
Wheaton at RAF
Waddington.
(Photo: UK MoD)
A senior British Army officer has revealed that the
WK450 Watchkeeper UAS will receive an interim
release to service (IRTS) in the next quarter.
The news would signal a significant first step
towards potential deployment to Afghanistan,
although MoD officials admitted that no
decisions had yet been made. However, the
IRTS will allow the army to begin operating the
aircraft from MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire.
Speaking to Unmanned Vehicles during
a media briefing at RAF Waddington on
15 January, Lt Col Craig Palmer said: We
have very high confidence the IRTS military
people flying Watchkeeper from Boscombe
Down will happen in the next quarter.
Watchkeeper has been under scrutiny
due to its delayed development programme,
although Palmer affirmed that confidence
levels regarding the platform have increased
within the army recently.
Scrutiny is good if it leads to outcomes, he
noted. The RTS is all about confidence levels,
and confidence levels in the last three months
have really started to move forward.
Meanwhile, an RN official confirmed that the
ScanEagle UAV was now operational on board
two British vessels in the Middle East.
The news follows the award of a 30 million
($50 million) UOR contract to Insitu in June
2013, covering the provision of two task lines
consisting of 300 hours per month each,
under a contractor-owned, contractor-
operated agreement.
Cdr Bow Wheaton told UV: HMS Somerset
is off to the Gulf as we speak and is working up
the ScanEagle system, and RFA Cardigan Bay
is already out in the Gulf and has completed
trials operating ScanEagle on its own. It is now
working up to do coordinated simultaneous
operations between helicopters and ScanEagle.
Wheaton could not specify where the
Cardigan Bay will next be tasked, but said it
will be in the Gulf region, including parts of the
Indian Ocean that we typically operate in. The
ScanEagle task line on board this vessel will begin
operations soon and is expected to be the first
task line of the UAV to be operated, he added.
The UOR contract runs until next year, and
although it was only due to become
operational in January, Wheaton noted that the
navy was already debating what will happen
post-2015: In navy headquarters we are
looking at what happens past March 2015,
because thats when this UOR runs out, and
there is literally a whole bunch of options.
nn FUTURE REQUIREMENTS
I cant tell you what will happen beyond
2015, but what I can categorically say is that
the requirement for persistent surveillance will
be there, he said.
Meanwhile, he also confirmed that the
navys Rotary Wing UAS (RWUAS) concept
demonstrator programme, which saw a contract
awarded to an AgustaWestland-led team in
August, will see a first flight by the end of 2014.
RWUAS will assess the viability of this class
of aircraft in the maritime domain, operating
from smaller vessels.
The navy aspires to introduce a fleet of
assured and integrated UAS to deliver mine
counter-measures, hydrographic capabilities,
maritime surveillance and force protection
functions, House of Commons Defence
Committee literature explains.
Finally, Armed Forces Minister Mark Francois
described ongoing decision-making processes
regarding the Taranis UCAV, Anglo-French
MALE and Scavenger projects.
Speaking at the same briefing, he said:
Taranis represents quite a giant leap forward
in technology terms but it is still a programme
thats in development. We havent taken
final decisions about the future of that
programme yet.
Referring to ongoing discussions with
Frances DGA defence procurement agency
over joint development of a MALE platform,
Francois stated that negotiations remained at
a relatively early stage: We are nowhere near
taking any further decisions on that, but we
have begun a conversation.
Discussing the MoDs Scavenger next-
generation ISTAR programme, Francois could
only admit: We are still working through
requirements as to exactly what we want
from Scavenger.
By Beth Stevenson and
Andrew White, RAF Waddington
UK MoD advances UAS strategy
LO O K I N G F O R . . .
M A R K E T I N T E L L I G E N C E ?
I N - D E P T H N E WS A N A LY S I S ?
D E TA I L E D P R O D U C T D ATA ?
V I S I T S H E P H A R D P LU S . C O M
F O R M O R E I N F O
S H E P H A R D P LU S H A S I T C O V E R E D
UV_FebMar14_p09.indd 9 29/01/2014 13:00:40
0 25 50 75 100
3C
4C
50K
50C
41M
41Y
Job Number: BOEG_INS_UAS_9557M_B
Client: Boeing
Date: 7/18/13
File Name: BOEG_INS_UAS_9557M_B
Output Printed at: 100%
Fonts: Helvetica Neue 65
Media: Unmanned Vehicles
Space/Color: Page 4 Color Bleed
Live: 395mm x 260mm
Trim: 410mm x 273mm
Bleed: 416mm x 279mm
Gutter: 12mm
Production Artist: S. Bowman
Retoucher:
GCD: P. Serchuk
Creative Director: P. Serchuk
Art Director: J. Alexander
Copy Writer: P. Serchuk
Print Producer:
Account Executive: D. McAuliffe
Client: Boeing
Proof Reader:
Legal:
Trafc Manager: Traci Brown
Digital Artist:
Art Buyer:
Vendor: Schawk
Product: Insitu
Approved
Date/Initials
PUBLICATION NOTE: Guideline for general identication only. Do not use as insertion order.
Material for this insertion is to be examined carefully upon receipt.
If it is decient or does not comply with your requirements, please contact: Print Production at 310-601-1485.
Frontline Communications Partners 1880 Century Park East, Suite 1011, Los Angeles, CA 90067
395mm Live
410mm Trim
416mm Bleed
2
7
9
m
m

i
n
.

B
l
e
e
d
2
7
3
m
m

T
r
i
m
2
6
0
m
m

L
i
v
e
12mm Gutter
Cyan Magenta YeIIow 8Iack
CIIent - FrontIIne ]ob # - 131759 Ver. - AD01
Our family has you covered,
whatever the domain.
The Insitu family of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems can signicantly enhance
the range and endurance of ISR missions through exible hub and spoke operations.
The ScanEagle and Integrator platforms deliver high-quality, real-time multi-intelligence
information over land, sea or a mix of bothenabling operators to optimize their UAS
assets while delivering the intelligence critical for decision-making superiority.
www.insitu.com/uas-family
UV_FebMar14_p10-11.indd 10 29/01/2014 13:01:12
0 25 50 75 100
3C
4C
50K
50C
41M
41Y
Job Number: BOEG_INS_UAS_9557M_B
Client: Boeing
Date: 7/18/13
File Name: BOEG_INS_UAS_9557M_B
Output Printed at: 100%
Fonts: Helvetica Neue 65
Media: Unmanned Vehicles
Space/Color: Page 4 Color Bleed
Live: 395mm x 260mm
Trim: 410mm x 273mm
Bleed: 416mm x 279mm
Gutter: 12mm
Production Artist: S. Bowman
Retoucher:
GCD: P. Serchuk
Creative Director: P. Serchuk
Art Director: J. Alexander
Copy Writer: P. Serchuk
Print Producer:
Account Executive: D. McAuliffe
Client: Boeing
Proof Reader:
Legal:
Trafc Manager: Traci Brown
Digital Artist:
Art Buyer:
Vendor: Schawk
Product: Insitu
Approved
Date/Initials
PUBLICATION NOTE: Guideline for general identication only. Do not use as insertion order.
Material for this insertion is to be examined carefully upon receipt.
If it is decient or does not comply with your requirements, please contact: Print Production at 310-601-1485.
Frontline Communications Partners 1880 Century Park East, Suite 1011, Los Angeles, CA 90067
395mm Live
410mm Trim
416mm Bleed
2
7
9
m
m

i
n
.

B
l
e
e
d
2
7
3
m
m

T
r
i
m
2
6
0
m
m

L
i
v
e
12mm Gutter
Cyan Magenta YeIIow 8Iack
CIIent - FrontIIne ]ob # - 131759 Ver. - AD01
Our family has you covered,
whatever the domain.
The Insitu family of autonomous unmanned aircraft systems can signicantly enhance
the range and endurance of ISR missions through exible hub and spoke operations.
The ScanEagle and Integrator platforms deliver high-quality, real-time multi-intelligence
information over land, sea or a mix of bothenabling operators to optimize their UAS
assets while delivering the intelligence critical for decision-making superiority.
www.insitu.com/uas-family
UV_FebMar14_p10-11.indd 11 29/01/2014 13:01:12
A great leap forward?
the US-China Economic and Security Review
Commission published in June 2013, notes:
Chinas UAV industry is diversifying and
expanding The dual-use nature of the
technology has led to significant crossover
across academia, the PLA, state-owned
defence enterprises and the private sector.
nn BEST IN SHOW
The best place to witness the robust pace at
which China is developing military craft is the
biennial Airshow China in Zhuhai. Each show
demonstrates growing maturity as concepts
develop into workable designs.
The PLA primarily uses UAVs for ISR and
communications relay, but has also developed
them for EW and kinetic operations.
Several companies have developed UCAVs,
one being Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group
(CAC) with its Wing Loong I. Maiden flight
occurred in 2007 and the aircraft was displayed
with a range of precision-guided weaponry
at Airshow China 2012. The 9m-long UCAV,
believed to be in PLA Air Force (PLAAF) service,
has a 20-hour endurance, 3,000km range and
can carry a 200kg payload.
Last year, a CAC spokesman revealed that five
Asian and African countries were interested in
Wing Loong, and that it had been sold to up to
three clients (possibly including the UAE and
Uzbekistan). At approximately $1 million per
unit, it is significantly cheaper than a $37 million
MQ-1 Predator.
Long-range craft are also being fielded. The
7,000km-range Xianglong (Soaring Dragon)
HALE platform from Guizhou Aircraft Industry
Corporation is likely destined for maritime
surveillance. It resembles the RQ-4 Global Hawk
and completed its maiden flight in November
2009. Such craft may eventually enable over-
the-horizon targeting by weapons such as the
DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile.
The BZK-005 MALE craft was developed
by the Beijing University of Aeronautics and
Astronautics and HAIG. It is thought to have
been in service since 2009 with the PLAAF and
PLA Navy. It has a 40-hour endurance, 26,000ft
ceiling and maximum take-off weight of
1,250kg. It is not armed and its primary role is
ISR. On 9 September 2013, China despatched
a BZK-005 near the disputed Diaoyu Islands,
prompting Japan to scramble fighters. Such
actions are surely just an opening gambit as
Beijing seeks to extend its grasp over adjacent
maritime areas.
The PLA widely uses ASN-206, ASN-207 and
improved ASN-209 tactical reconnaissance
UAVs from Xian ASN Technology Group,
Chinas largest UAV producer. The ASN-207,
with its distinctive mushroom-shaped data link
antenna, appeared in Beijings impressive 2009
anniversary parade, as did the 200km-range,
single-tail ASN-215. ASN has delivered some
1,500 craft to the military, and its platforms are
set to remain a mainstay of the PLA.
nn TACTICAL FOCUS
Some 93% of UAV programmes in China
revolve around tactical-level platforms. The
Nanjing Research Institute on Simulation
T
he maiden flight of Chinas first stealth
UCAV, the jet-powered Lijian (Sharp
Sword), has reignited interest in the state
of the countrys unmanned sector. Designed to
improve Beijings intelligence-gathering and
perhaps strike capacities, Lijian completed its
maiden flight on 21 November 2013.
However, looking at the wider context
in China, it appears unmanned systems
have become a craze for business and
pleasure beyond the military domain,
with videographers, technology geeks and
aspiring businesses joining the bandwagon.
Since 2009, Shenyang Aircraft Corporation
and Hongdu Aviation Industry Group (HAIG)
have collaborated on Lijian, the design of
which bears striking similarities to Northrop
Grummans X-47B demonstrator. It has
internal bomb bays and a 14m wingspan,
while the engine is presumed to be a
Russian RD-93 turbofan.
Lijian is the third Chinese stealth aircraft to
take to the skies after the J-20 and J-31 fighters
flew in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Taxiing
trials were completed last May, and there is
speculation Lijian could eventually become
Chinas first carrier-borne UCAV.
Certainly, this craft underscores the growing
capabilities available to the Peoples Liberation
Army (PLA) and the ascent of Chinas aerospace
sector. Major arms manufacturers now have
dedicated UAV research centres and glibly
show off dozens of models at exhibitions.
Kimberly Hsu, author of Chinas Military
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Industry, a report for
Is China finally poised
to emerge as a serious
military and commercial force
in the unmanned systems
domain? Gordon Arthur
weighs up the evidence.
12
SPECIAL REPORT
Hong Kongs Civil Engineering and
Development Department uses a DJI
S800 hex-rotor to conduct land surveys.
UV_FebMar14_p12-15_China.indd 12 29/01/2014 13:02:21
SPECIAL REPORT
13
Technique is a key producer, supplying Z- and
W-series fixed- and rotary-wing UAVs to public
security agencies and the PLA.
The state-owned China Aerospace Science
and Industry Corporation (CASIC), which
specialises in missiles, unveiled the jet-powered
WJ-600 UCAV in 2010. No CASIC model is
thought to be in PLA service, but the company
said the WJ-600 is suitable for reconnaissance,
targeting and strike. It has a maximum speed
of 460kt and the improved WJ-600A has a
five-hour endurance.
China Aerospace Science and Technology
Corporation (CASC) has promoted its 1,260kg
CH-4 UCAV as a competitor to Wing Loong. The
CH-4A, which can carry four precision-guided
munitions, has a 30-hour endurance and
3,500km range, while the similar CH-4B has
14-hour endurance but a much larger payload.
CASC is targeting Africa and Asia in marketing
efforts for its family that includes the smaller
CH-91, CH-92, CH-802, CH-803 and CH-901.
No CASC UAV is believed to be in PLA service.
Chinese company names are a veritable
alphabet soup, but most are subsidiaries
of the Aviation Industry Corporation of
China, which offers for export models like the
200km-range Harrier III, the short-range Night
Eagle and the 100km-range, trailer-launched
SW-1 tactical UAV.
On a couple of occasions, Japan has snapped
photos of what are apparently Schiebel
Camcopter S-100s operating from Chinese
frigates. Rotary-winged UAVs are also being
developed domestically, with the Changhe
Aircraft Industries Corporation U8E having a
150km range. It can be used for multiple roles
like counter-terrorism.
nn NUMBERS GAME
It is difficult to ascertain UAV numbers in the
PLA, but a mid-2011 report by Taiwans Ministry
of National Defense claimed the PLAAF alone
had 280 units. Other branches may have
thousands, making China the second largest
user worldwide. The Defense Science Board
(DSB), which advises the Pentagon, stated in
2012: The military significance of Chinas
move into unmanned systems is alarming.
Furthermore, a 2013 report, China Naval
Modernisation: Implications for US Navy
Capabilities Background and Issues for
Congress, quoted at length a New York Times
piece of 21 September 2013: The government
and military are striving to put China at the
forefront of drone manufacturing, for their own
use and for export, and have made an all-out
push to gather domestic and international
technology to support the programme.
China mostly replicates foreign designs and
has yet to show true innovation, although it
toyed with the idea of UAV swarms attacking US
carrier battle groups. An important factor in its
rapid technological advancement is espionage,
with clear indications of a cyber-campaign
commencing in 2011 that targeted US UAV
manufacturers. In mid-2012, Zhang Zhaowei,
a naturalised Canadian, was arrested for
attempting to illegally acquire and export
military gyroscopes suitable for UAV use.
Additionally, China is employing UAVs for
missions such as law enforcement, remote
sensing, maritime surveillance and disaster relief.
For example, they were used in the wake of the
2008 and 2013 earthquakes in Sichuan. The
State Oceanic Administration will develop UAS
bases in 11 coastal provinces by 2015, and a
pilot programme has been running from Dalian
since November 2011.
However, there are extremely strict
airspace restrictions. The Civilian Use of Drones
Regulations prohibit craft from approaching
within 15km of an airport, and restrict flight
above altitudes of 300ft anywhere else.
Furthermore, civilian authorities must
approve all unmanned flight plans.
Reflecting such tight controls, four surveying
company employees were arrested on
29 December after flying a craft at 2,300ft and
55kt near Beijing International Airport. Their
action caused the diversion of two planes and
multiple flight delays, and the Civil Aviation
Administration of China (CAAC) scrambled a
helicopter. In another example, Incake bakery in
Shanghai bought three 10kg drones to make
deliveries around the congested city. A test
flight was successfully completed, but the
CAAC swiftly nixed the idea by grounding
Incakes fleet.
nn STATE DOMINATION
Most UAV use has been limited to government
departments or state-linked businesses, such as
the State Grid Corporation that checks power
lines with UAVs. However, one company
AVIC is responsible for this 220kg variant of the U8E rotorcraft that is marketed for
both civil and military purposes. (All photos: author)
A view of CASICs QiBing EOD robot in camouflage
colours. Visible in the foreground is the Snow Leopard 10.
14
SPECIAL REPORT
enjoying success is Beijing FlyCam, which has
turned a hobby into a money-spinner by
offering aerial photography services. News
crews are starting to use similar craft too.
The Civil Engineering and Development
Department (CEDD) is pioneering UAV use in
Hong Kong. Unmanned Vehicles attended a
demonstration of tasks such as topographic
mapping and earthwork computation, using
Chinese-built DJI Spreading Wings S800
hex-rotor and Swedish SmartPlanes SmartOne
fixed-wing platforms.
Li Yuk-kwong, the senior land surveyor,
revealed his department started using UAVs
last year. He outlined their advantages, saying:
They give more comprehensive data, are cost-
effective, their deployment is easy and fast, we
have a shorter time in the field, and they are safer
than sending surveyors into dangerous areas.
Li also described how a UAV could do in one
day what used to take two weeks on the ground.
However, he conceded that UAVs cannot totally
replace conventional survey methods because
of accuracy, scale and endurance factors.
The CEDD is but one user of DJI craft. Based
in Shenzhen and established in 2006, the
company describes itself as the global leader
in developing and manufacturing high-
performance, reliable and easy-to-use small
UAVs for commercial and recreational use.
nn GROUND SYSTEMS
At present, Chinese UGVs do not garner the
attention afforded to their aerial counterparts.
However, national capabilities are growing, as
evidenced by the lunar rover Yutu (Jade Rabbit),
which rolled onto the Moons surface
on 14 December to begin three months of
exploration. The successful deployment of
the six-wheeled vehicle was a culminating
achievement of the Change-3 mission that lifted
off a fortnight earlier. The 140kg Yutu
can climb 30 inclines and has a robotic arm
with an alpha particle X-ray spectrometer, plus
a belly-mounted ground-penetrating radar.
Despite the proliferation of military UAVs at
domestic and regional trade shows, UGVs are
rarely seen. One notable exception witnessed
by UV is a range produced by CASIC. It offers the
Snow Leopard 3 that can investigate radiation
leaks or reconnoitre contaminated areas by
collecting air, water and solid samples. Its brother
is the tracked Snow Leopard 10 that can remove
explosive devices. The largest family member is
Stabilised Electro-Optical Sensor Systems & Thermal Imagers
DST CONTROL
+46 13 211080
info@dst.se
www.dst.se
Light-weight and low power
infrared cameras for a wide area
of applications in one of the
smallest form factors available.
Multiple choice of interfaces and
a wide range of optics solutions.
Light-weight and high performance
gyro stabilised gimbals for mission
critical applications.
Based on high bandwidth torque
motors, designed and optimised by
DST CONTROL for active vibration
attenuation.
Built-in geo-location/pointing and
video tracker features.
Available in sizes from 135-250 mm
and weights from 1-12 kg.
2 or 4 axis gimbal capabilities
Maximum exportability
SPECIAL REPORT
15
the QiBing EOD robot, its most prominent
feature being a long manipulator arm for
moving or defusing ordnance. Presumably
these CASIC types are in PLA service.
nn FUTURE TRAJECTORIES
China is well placed to meet surging domestic
and international demand for military and
civilian unmanned craft. Flagging demand from
Western militaries due to constrained budgets
could see US, European and Israeli companies
seeking more robust sales overseas. There they
will be confronted by Chinese suppliers that
have lower price points, one reason being that
many designs are developed by academic
institutions rather than industry. China is
undoubtedly set to become a major proliferator
of UAVs, especially to developing countries with
fewer dollars to spend, and who find Western
designs too sophisticated or expensive.
Furthermore, many Western countries are
bound by the Missile Technology Control
Regime and Wassenaar Arrangement, whereas
Beijing is not. Chinese technology may still lag
behind Israel and the US, but budget-priced
products are set to lure new militaries into using
UAVs. Indeed, commentators are concerned
about proliferation to nations possessing
dubious human rights records, and China may
one day justify using UCAVs against domestic
militants in Tibet or Xinjiang.
The full establishment of Chinas global
BeiDou satellite constellation could also boost
UAV development, as it means craft will no
longer have to rely on US GPS for navigation
and targeting.
However, question marks remain over
the operational reliability of Chinese offerings.
Airframes are often the least challenging element
of unmanned systems, and these are typically the
only things China exhibits. Therefore it is difficult
to assess overall performance. Market perception
will be critical, as US and Israeli systems are
combat-proven while Chinese UAVs remain
untested. Also of concern is the efficacy of
aftermarket support from vendors, as this has
long been a weakness of Chinese manufacturers.
A 2012 DSB report warned how China
could easily match or outpace US spending on
unmanned systems, rapidly close the technology
gaps and become a formidable global
competitor in unmanned systems. It will take
time for Chinese products to become known and
accepted. However, the process has started. UV
16
MARKET OVERVI EW
Diverse demand
In Asia, the biggest procurement projects
gaining traction are those involving high-
altitude capabilities and UAVs which are
not armed, but designed to provide ISR.
According to Frost & Sullivan, Asia-Pacific
currently accounts for the second highest
level of UAV expenditure globally, although
the sector remains in its infancy and will
continue to look to the West for equipment
in the short and medium term.
In 2011, the region as a whole spent
$590 million on UAVs. Frost & Sullivan
estimates that this figure could rise to
$1.4 billion by 2017. Factors driving growth
include extensive maritime areas and long
coastlines, unstable states with internal political
tensions, regional conflicts and support from
governments for indigenous development.
As countries adopt network-centric warfare,
tactical UAVs are playing a critical role and will
continue to dominate the market. Again, Frost
& Sullivan expects advanced nations including
Australia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea to
be procurement leaders in the HALE market.
Stronger growth for MALE systems is expected
to take away some market share.
Reports also warn that VTOL technology
does not appear to be garnering significant
support, with the exception of Japan. However,
Frost & Sullivan believes requirements will
increase over the next three years due to
enhanced technologies, handling capabilities
and new naval defence procurement.
For instance, over the next two years,
the Malaysian market is expected to be worth
$90 million as maritime and coast guard
requirements drive sales. The threat of
mainland China and territorial disputes are
also expected to drive Taiwans $600 million
UAV market. Meanwhile, counter-terrorism and
territorial disputes are driving the $125 million
Indonesian market, and internal security threats
in Thailand will make it buy around $300 million
worth of UAVs.
nn IMPORTED SOLUTIONS
Although many countries have set up
indigenous development programmes, lack of
technical expertise and funding has hindered
progress, forcing procurement of off-the-shelf
W
ith surveillance taking on an
increasingly important role both on
and off the battlefield, improved
situation awareness and mission capabilities are
driving the use of UAVs in Asia-Pacific. Although
spending on UAVs primarily covers defence
applications, the region is taking its cue from
the US, where there is increasing demand
for unmanned systems for humanitarian
aid/disaster relief (HADR), cargo transport,
communications, meteorological and law
enforcement missions.
A heady cocktail of territorial disputes, internal unrest, geographical realities and environmental
challenges is driving UAS procurement across South and Southeast Asia, finds Neelam Mathews.
Global Hawk imagery of the Philippines in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. (Image: USAF)
UV_FebMar14_p16-18_Asia.indd 16 29/01/2014 13:04:45
MARKET OVERVI EW
17
The first of the Indian DRDOs Rustom family of UAVs, Rustom-1, crashed during its maiden flight in 2009. (Photo: author)
The Indian military expects to
acquire at least 1,300 systems in
the next decade, ranging from
man-portable to HALE vehicles.
systems from abroad. While Japan should be
a Tier 1 developer of unmanned technology,
international arms and trade restrictions have
significantly hampered domestic programmes.
Last year, the Universiti Malaysia Perlis
(UniMAP) and Drei Shne Technologies
signed a letter of intent to cooperate on UAV
technologies. UniMAP is presently developing
the SMART-V (Surveillance, Military Activity,
Agriculture, Rescue and Terrain Monitoring
Vehicle). It also welcomed Pakistans offer to
jointly manufacture long-range tactical UAVs.
Indonesia announced last year that it would
begin to mass-produce surveillance UAVs.
Analysts say this is part of a broader trend of
modernising militaries in Asia-Pacific. Indonesias
Agency for Assessment and Application of
Technology announced plans to work with
industry and the Ministry of Defence to develop
and manufacture the Wulung tactical UAV,
weighing 120kg with a wingspan of 6.36m and
length of 4.32m. The aircraft are to be deployed
in the countrys vast border regions, with Papua
New Guinea and Timor-Leste to the east, and
Malaysia and Brunei to the northwest.
While all UAVs in the country are currently
unarmed, the Ministry of Defence has admitted
it has long-term plans for a weaponised model
capable of firing missiles or dropping bombs.
Indonesias military, it was reported in 2012,
was to acquire four IAI Searcher Mk 2 systems
with an operating range of 200km and
15-hour endurance.
Meanwhile, Vietnam has expressed an
intention to buy the Grif-1, a 100kg UAV with a
30kg payload, 108kt maximum speed and eight-
hour endurance, from Belarus. Vietnam test-flew
two indigenous mini-UAVs back in 2008.
nn INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY
Elsewhere, Singapores military continues to
develop its own industrial capacity with the
Skyblade family of mini-UAVs under joint
development with ST Aerospace. The Republic
of Singapore Air Force enhanced its ISR
capabilities when it introduced the IAI Heron 1
UAV with 119 Squadron in mid-2012, replacing
its Searcher fleet.
The Herons will provide our commanders,
planners and soldiers on the ground with
better situational awareness to make timely
and informed decisions to engage the
adversary decisively, said Minister for Defence
Ng Eng Hen.
Singapores air defence capabilities have
advanced significantly in the last two decades.
The US has played an important role in this by
providing training and sharing tactics. Looking
further ahead, it is likely more UAVs will be
purchased from America. Singapore already
operates Insitus ScanEagle from its six 600t
Victory-class corvettes.
Four RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk
surveillance aircraft are expected to be
delivered to South Korea from 2017-19,
helping to keep the North Korean missile
threat in check. Northrop Grumman continues
to establish relationships elsewhere in the
region, with Singapore also believed to
have shown interest in Global Hawk.
The ISR capabilities of the Block 30 were used
to support massive international HADR efforts
following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in
November, which is likely to create interest in a
region facing regular environmental disasters.
Mission planning in a crisis is hard, but
having the ability to task and re-task Global
Hawk gives commanders the flexibility to
conduct productive ISR missions that feed near
real-time information to the response teams
who need it the most, said Jim Culmo, VP HALE
enterprise at Northrop Grumman. Global Hawk
brought back approximately 1,000 tasked
images and a made a number of ad-hoc
collections on each sortie.
The RQ-4 also collected data and imagery
within the radiation zones over the Fukushima
power plant following Japans 2011 earthquake
and tsunami.
nn COUNTER INSURGENCY
India is increasing procurement of UAVs,
having identified a critical need in light of
ongoing counter-insurgency campaigns in its
central and eastern regions, not to mention
ongoing tensions along the Pakistan border.
The country is also an emerging naval power
with a requirement for persistent maritime
surveillance. The Indian military expects to
acquire at least 1,300 systems in the next
decade, ranging from man-portable to
HALE vehicles.
UAVs are now acknowledged as force
multipliers in India, which has already bought
$1.3 million of platforms since the 1990s.
According to the Teal Group, future sales will
18
MARKET OVERVI EW
comprise a mix of around 170 systems in the
tactical category with 100 going to the army
and 70 to the air force, as well as 980 mini-UAVs,
50 MALE and 60 maritime platforms.
An Aviotech report viewed by Unmanned
Vehicles sets out how UAVs present an overall
opportunity for over $500 million in capital
procurement over the next three years,
signifying revenue order book expansion
with lucrative margins for successful bidders.
Most of these procurements will be addressed
by global OEMs, it added.
However, there has recently been
considerable interest in creating a home-grown
supply for this segment of the market. On
the manufacturing and delivery side, some
capability is evident in terms of airframes,
GCS, communications and data links. There
is now significant scope for private industry
participation in propulsion, payload and
navigation/guidance, all of which will provide
investment opportunities for those considering
defence contract offsets, said Aviotech.
The Indian Air Force, army and navy have
deployed Israeli-built systems such as IAIs
Heron and Searcher Mk II, plus the indigenous
Nishant, with an endurance of over four hours
for surveillance. The MALE Rustom-H is said to
be based on the US MQ-1 Predator and is
powered by an NPO-Saturn 36MT turbofan
rated at 400kg, has an endurance of 12-15
hours and can carry payloads of up to 75kg to
a ceiling of 25,000ft. Sensors and data links are
challenges likely to be faced.
As all sizes of UAS gain traction among
Indian military and internal security agencies,
efforts to speed up development by the
Aeronautical Development Establishment
(ADE) a wing of the Defence Research &
Development Organisation (DRDO) have
been delayed due to lack of access to sensor
and engine technology.
Postponed for over a year, taxi trials of the
DRDO-developed Rustom-2 HALE UAS are
now scheduled for mid-2014, with first flight
by the end of the year, ADE associate director
V S Chandra Shekhar told UV.
The Indian Army has ordered 77 systems,
while government-owned Hindustan
Aeronautics (HAL) and Bharat Electronics will
be taking the manufacturing lead, although the
DRDO is also considering opening this up to the
private sector. Rustom-2 will have a payload of
350kg, wingspan of 21m and range of 200km.
nn HELP REQUIRED
In late August, Avinash Chander, scientific
advisor to the Defence Minister, said precision-
guided munitions that can be launched from
UAVs would be test-fired by the DRDO in a
couple of months.
Requirements for ISR are huge in India given
threats from the border. Our goal is to bring the
threats down However, HALE, micro and
nano-UAVs still require powerful algorithms.
That is where we require help, added Shekhar.
Indias MoD is expected to release
five tenders valued at over $1.5 billion for
600 mini-UAS to be operated by air force,
infantry and artillery units plus the federal
police.
Three years ago, the Indian Navy evinced
interest in acquiring a fleet of maritime HALE
platforms with an endurance of 25 hours,
maximum weight of 15t, cruising speed of
100kt and service ceiling of 40,000ft. With
three UAS bases, the navy recently announced
plans to procure another 15 Herons and
associated equipment from Israel, adding to its
current fleet of 40 aircraft.
The Indian Army is also planning to procure a
UAV mission simulator for crew training. The
simulator, according to the RfI, should be
capable of conducting initial and refresher
training of external and internal pilots, mission
commanders and observers, with a separate
console for the instructor. The simulator is
intended to train for individual air data relay
and maritime scenarios with or without
SATCOM for single or multiple payloads.
nn SPECIAL PROMOTION
As civil use of UAVs increases, Saabs Skeldar, a
medium-range UAS that can hover for hours
while providing real-time information to a
control station or remote video terminal, is
being promoted in India by the company.
It is fully autonomous, commanded by high-
level commands such as point and fly and
point and look, and designed for a range of
land, maritime and civil applications, a
company official told UV.
Using UAVs for civil operations including
HADR will require a clear-cut regulatory policy.
Calling for legislation to cover such applications,
a spokesperson of the Aircraft Research &
Design Centre at HAL said the major issues
preventing use of autonomous civil UAVs in
India were related to lack of airspace
management to prevent UAVs from colliding
with each other, helicopters, buildings or
flocks of birds.
As systems start to get more reliable, local
and government authorities should recognise
civil UAVs not only as a new commercial
industry of great potential, but also as a
latent threat to domestic security, for which
regulations should be established sooner
rather than later, the spokesperson continued.
Southeast Asian countries are starting
to encounter limits to their surveillance
capacity following increased security threats
to congested and vulnerable sea lanes such as
the Malacca Straits. Maritime infiltrations and
Beijings claims to the Scarborough Shoal has
the Philippines concerned, while disputes
continue between China and Taiwan and
Japan over the islands in the East China Sea.
Indias vast territory too, poses internal and
external challenges. These factors, along with
emerging civil requirements, make it likely that
forecasts for future procurement in Asia may
well be exceeded. UV
The VTOL market is failing to gather significant momentum in Asia-Pacific. (Photo: Saab)
Consultez notre site Internet Co Co Co Co Co Co Co Co Co Co ooonns ns nns ns ns ns sssss ns nssul ul ul ul ul ul ul ul uul ul ul ul ul ultte te te te te te te te tte te te te te te te te e te te te te e tezzzz z z zz z zzzzzzzz z z zz zzzz zzz nnnnnnno no no no no no no noo no no no no no no no no noo noo noooooooooootr tr ttr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr tr ttr ttr tr tr tr tr trrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee e e eeeeeeee e eeeeeeee e eeeee e ssi si sssi ssssi si si si si ssi si sssi si ssi si si si si si ssi siiii si ssi si ssi siii sssi siite te te te te te te te te te te te te te te tte te e tte te te eeee te te te e te te e te te te te te te te te ee te e te e te ee te te te te te eee t IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIInt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt nt ntttttttttttttter er eeer er er er er eeer er er er er er er eeeeer er er eeeer er er er er er er r er eer eer eeer er er er er er er eeer eeeeer eeeeeeeerne ne ne nne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne ne nne ne e ne e ne ne ne e ne ne e ne ee ne ne ne ee ne ne ne ee ne e ne neee nne ne ne e ne e ne ne ne e ne ne ee ne nne neee ne ne ne e ne e ne nnee ne ne ne ne etttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt
9> 11 September 2014
BA106 - AEROPARC OF BORDEAUX MERIGNAC
S
Y
S T E M E S D E D R O N E S
U A V S Y S T E M S
AERO DAYS IN AQUITAINE
New for 2014
ADS SHOW and UAV SHOW will take place at the same
time and the same site.
Key moments
> Dynamics demonstrations of UAVs in ight over
Souge Regional military camp (15 mn from the
exhibition),
> Pre-scheduled business appointments,
> Conferences, round tables and workshops about
military and civilian drone issues and trends,
> Presence of major groups, european and international
stakeholders and SME/SMI players.
Visit our website
uavshow-europe.com
Show is reserved for professionnals and French
and Foreign armed forces (Military card required).
Acces by invitation and pre-registration
on the website.
With the nancial support of
UAV SHOW
is conanced by European Union.
Europe is committed in Aquitaine through
the European funds
for Regional development
Organised by : Congrs et Expositions de Bordeaux, Territoires & Co, AroGy and Parteneo Consulting
UAV SHOW
is an initiative of
T
E
R
R
IT
O
IR
E
S

&

C
O

-

R
C
S

3
8
9

8
2
0

3
8
2

-

O
c
t
o
b
r
e

2
0
1
3

-

C
r
d
it
s

p
h
o
t
o
s

(F
R
)
e
t

c
o
p
y
r
ig
h
t

(G
B
)
:

T
h
a
le
s

:

R
ic
h
a
r
d

S
e
y
m
o
u
r

P
h
o
t
o
g
r
a
p
h
y

/

D
a
s
s
a
u
lt

A
v
ia
t
io
n

:

A
le
x

P
a
r
in
g
a
u
x

/

F
ly
-
n
-
s
e
n
s
e

:

s
c
a
n
c
o
p
t
e
r

x
6

A
AP UAV Show 205x273 GB.indd 1 24/01/14 12:06 UV_FebMar14_p19.indd 19 29/01/2014 13:05:32
Specialist aerospace & defence
conferences & exhibitions
Connecting businesses
to international markets
Tangent Link enjoy an enviable global reputation for delivering quality, highly researched & topical events
that draw key decision makers from the national & regional marketplaces - a prospective customer
audience that we help tailor to meet your business objectives.
To nd out how we can help introduce you to business opportunities in new, emerging,
established and even some closed markets, please contact us now.
For more information: Email: info@tangentlink.com
Web: www.tangentlink.com | Tel: +44 (0) 1628 660400
2014 events include:
Electronic Warfare Asia
Malaysia - March
International Air Force Modernisation
Malaysia - April
Asian Naval Warfare
Malaysia - September
Maritime Surveillance Aircraft
Indonesia - October
Electronic Warfare
UAE - November
Military Radar
Saudi Arabia - November
For our full events schedule,
please visit our website.
UV_FebMar14_p20.indd 20 29/01/2014 13:06:36
HARBOUR PROTECTION
21
harbour traffic. The versatility of unmanned
technology, including UAVs, USVs and AUVs, is
transforming the ways this can be carried out,
either in cooperation with, or in place of,
manned assets.
The use of AUVs in particular, which conduct
underwater hull, pier and sea floor inspection,
is growing as security organisations realise the
advantages of the technology.
nn EFFICIENCY DRIVE
A major player in this segment is Kongsberg
Maritime subsidiary Hydroid, which has
developed its Remus 100 and Remus
600 AUVs to provide a range of capabilities,
including mine countermeasures and harbour
security operations in a more efficient manner.
Prior to the development of this type of
technology, port security involved a lot of towed
side-scan work, with a small boat moving through
the harbour trying to drag a side-scan sonar
behind it, Rick Morton, regional sales manager at
Hydroid, told Unmanned Vehicles. The hard part
with that is that you dont know exactly where the
scanner is behind the boat it could be off to the
side, which complicates things, and because its
towed, it could get snagged on things in the
water or on the harbour bottom.
Stemming
the tide
T
he protection of harbour and port areas is
fast becoming an important aspect of
national security. The safe passage of sea
traffic from merchant shipping and naval
vessels to commercial transportation in and
around harbours is vital to the economic viability
of any port city. Coast guard, port police and
naval security organisations are increasingly
turning to unmanned technology to monitor
and protect these areas and the vessels that
operate within them.
The key to the protection of critical maritime
infrastructure is the ability to conduct persistent
surveillance without impeding the flow of
The role of unmanned systems in the
maritime security domain is steadily
increasing as agencies realise their full
potential. Claire Apthorp considers how
the use of multiple layers of such assets
can significantly boost protection levels.
Harbour protection is trending
towards cooperation between
a variety of unmanned assets,
including UAVs like Skeldar, USVs
and AUVs. (Photo: Saab)
UV_FebMar14_p21-25_Harbour_protection.indd 21 29/01/2014 14:49:21
22
HARBOUR PROTECTION
The Remus 100 can be operated in coastal
environments up to 100m in depth. The
compact and lightweight system can be
launched from a beach, pier, floating dock or
small boat, to conduct surveillance operations of
between eight to ten hours on a single charge. It
can also be fitted with a number of third-party
sensors, including side-scan sonar, to suit
mission requirements.
The larger Remus 600 grew out of
requirements for operations of extended
endurance (up to 24 hours), increased payload
capacity and greater operating depth (up to
600m). It carries a range of payloads according
to customer requirements, including single-
and dual-frequency side-scan sonar, synthetic
aperture sonar, eco sensors, video and
electronic still cameras, acoustic imaging and a
sub-bottom profiler.
For harbour security/surveillance, Remus
systems are primarily used to provide a change
detection service. Basically that means you
select an area of interest that you want to
monitor to ensure it stays clear of threats,
such as an IED planted underneath a container
ship or passenger cruise liner, said Morton. You
can programme the AUV to survey the area
regularly and do an analysis of every target that
could be mistaken for an IED, such
as a tyre or barrel on the sea floor.
nn CLEARING PROCESS
Over time, users can build up a base map
upon which all potential targets have been
identified and cleared. At that point, the vehicle
can keep running surveillance lines and the
systems software can continuously compare
the new survey with the original, so that new
potential targets can be quickly picked out
and identified.
The nice thing with an AUV is that by
running the same line over and over, its very
easy to work out if you are seeing the same
things you saw the first time, or whether a
diver or remotely operated vehicle should be
deployed to investigate a target more closely,
Morton continued.
Depending on the sensitivity of the area, this
survey can be run every few weeks to keep up
the situational awareness picture, but for
high-security operations, such as the London
Olympics, they began surveys of the [River]
Thames and sailing area two years beforehand,
and then ran lines continuously as it
approached and during the event to look
for threats.
The growing demand for systems such as
the Remus is down to the increasing reliability
of the technology.
The Remus 100 is smaller, easier to use and
less expensive, but is limited by its endurance
and the type of sensors you can use with it,
added Morton. Last year was the first time we
sold more Remus 600s than Remus 100s, and
that shows that people are starting to trust that
AUVs can do the job, so they are investing
money in bigger and more capable vehicles
that can do a lot more for them.
nn MARITIME NETWORK
Further down the line, Morton sees more
cooperation between unmanned systems,
in a manner approaching DARPAs Hydra
programme, which aims to develop a
distributed undersea network of unmanned
payloads and platforms to complement
manned vessels as well as meet a range
of threats above, on and below the
oceans surface.
I think youll start seeing the build-up at
each level, with USVs on the surface that can
launch AUVs also in contact with the UAVs
doing reconnaissance overhead, and all the data
will be [relayed] back to HQ where the situation
is automatically monitored, Morton explained.
The unmanned presence will be realised much
more in the 3D realm.
Bluefin Robotics offers two AUV systems for
harbour protection applications, including the
Bluefin-9M (based on the Bluefin-9) and the
Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicle
(HAUV), which have both been designed with
a focus on ease of deployment.
The Bluefin-9M is modular, can be
transported on the back of a pick-up truck, and
a two-person team can prepare and launch it
from a beach, pier or small boat in around
15 minutes, Jon Tobias, business director of
defence and international markets at Bluefin
Robotics, told UV. So what were stressing is
that this system is an extremely efficient way
of gaining a lot of capability easily.
What Bluefin Robotics is tapping into
with this approach is a growing demand for
capable systems that are designed to be
platform-agnostic.
As the USN has developed its Littoral
Combat Ship, a lot of navies around the world
small and large are looking at deployable
Hydroids Remus AUVs are typically used for change detection in harbours. (Photo: Hydroid)
www.schiebel.net
R
A
D
A
R
E
O
/
I
R
E
S
M
D
A
T
A
L
I
N
K
Maritime Supremacy
Full 360 Degree Longrange Overview
RADAR + ESM + EO/IR
equipped with
www.schiebel.net
R
A
D
A
R
E
O
/
I
R
E
S
M
D
A
T
A
L
I
N
K
Maritime Supremacy
Full 360 Degree Longrange Overview
RADAR + ESM + EO/IR
equipped with
24
HARBOUR PROTECTION
systems, such as Bluefin-9M, which are flexible
and are not tied to a particular platform, added
Tobias. For navies that dont have dedicated
platforms for this purpose, a system that can be
deployed from any small craft of opportunity
is extremely beneficial.
To this end, Bluefin Robotics is also
working with another company on a mine
countermeasures in a box concept. This
would see a Bluefin-9M or HAUV housed in
an ISO container, along with the necessary
support, maintenance equipment and C2
systems, which could be deployed anywhere
in the world at any time from a vessel capable
of carrying such a container although no
firm details on this project have been released
as yet.
nn SURFACE SURVEILLANCE
USVs also offer a solution for the remote
monitoring of harbour infrastructure.
Aeronautics has designed its SeaStar USV for a
wide range of naval or maritime missions,
including harbour and strategic facility
protection and ISR. The systems
open-architecture design allows the USV to be
controlled by the companys Unmanned Multi
Application System, which enables integration
of the SeaStar into C4I networks, and C2 of the
system from any maritime, aerial or ground
vehicle or station.
The past 12 months have also seen a number
of developments around the use of USVs for
targeted mine-neutralisation missions, such as
Atlas Elektroniks unveiling of the Atlas Remote
Combined Influence Minesweeping Systems
OPV. It can operate alone or as part of the Atlas
Integrated Mine Countermeasures System,
which consists of several sensor systems, USVs
and AUVs to detect and neutralise a wide range
of mine threats.
Northrop Grumman also announced in 2013
that it will support the USNs integration of the
AQS-24A Side Look Sonar System onto a USV
for the detection and classification of both
bottom and moored mines in real time at
high area coverage rates.
In the aerial layer, the deployment of
UAVs from maritime vessels is increasing
among navies and coast guard organisations
worldwide, with a number of countries
investing in assets that have potential to
provide airborne overwatch in harbour areas
should this requirement emerge in future.
nn FLEET SUPPORT
The UK Royal Navy (RN) has selected the
ScanEagle Mk 1 maritime reconnaissance
system to meet UOR requirements for navy
and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels. According to
Cdr Bow Wheaton, the system commenced
operations from RFA Cardigan Bay in the
Arabian Gulf in mid-January, where it will be
used to provide real-time intelligence data to
maritime commanders.
Epson Europe Electronics GmbH
sensing@epson-electronics.de
www.epson-electronics.de
Epson Inertial Measurement Unit
>ULTRA LOW POWER
<30mA3. 3V
> SMALL SIZE
24x24x10 mm
>LIGHTWEIGHT
7 GRAMM
> HIGH STABILITY
3/h BI AS STABI LI TY
C
o
m
p
a
c
t
D
e
s
ig
n

w
it
h
o
u
t
C
o
m
p
r
o
m
is
e
Applications:
> Attitude stabilization
> Inertial navigation
> Camera stabilization
Schiebel is trialling various new mission payloads on the Camcopter S-100. (Photo: Schiebel)
HARBOUR PROTECTION
25
Similarly, Dutch operations with ScanEagle
have been well under way for 18 months since
the system was first deployed from HNLMS
Rotterdam in the Gulf of Aden.
The Dutch MoDs selection of the MQ-9
Reaper is also understood to include future
deployment on behalf of the Netherlands Coast
Guard, while the Spanish Navy became an
operator of maritime UAVs for the first time in
2013 with the selection of the Saab Skeldar
V-200 and operational deployment of the
system in November on board the offshore
patrol vessel BAM Meteoro.
Despite this increasing uptake, the demand
for harbour protection as a primary requirement
in the maritime UAV sector remains low at this
stage. As Anders Wennstrm, director of
marketing at Saab Aeronautics, told UV: The
interest in the harbour protection area is more a
secondary concern among our potential Skeldar
V-200 customers at this stage, and is more likely
to be applicable in terms of a UAV-carrying
vessel sending a system ahead to perform
reconnaissance of a harbour or port before
arriving in the area.
nn FUTURE POTENTIAL
However, the relevance of UAVs to harbour
protection as ISR assets certainly has the
potential to expand in the future as the
technology becomes more entrenched among
port and harbour security organisations.
Schiebels head of capability engineering,
Chris Day, spoke to UV about how this might
evolve, and the work the company is doing to
integrate its Camcopter S-100 VTOL UAV with a
number of different sensors in order to allow
users to extract more value from the imagery
captured something that could have
significant relevance to this market segment
as it unfolds.
In a harbour protection setting, the
Camcopter S-100 can support the activities
associated with area security and awareness
and ensure that ships can be in and get through
the harbour safely, Day said. We can utilise both
active and passive onboard sensors that allow
us to effectively monitor and understand the
harbour environment.
This includes using hyper- and multi-spectral
sensors in addition to standard EO, which allows
you to not only collect normal pictures, but
identify the material being seen within that
picture. For example, with a hazard such as an oil
spill, a hyperspectral image immediately
identifies that there is an oil film on the surface of
the water and gives a clear picture of its extent.
Also being integrated and demonstrated by
Schiebel is an Auto Identification System (AIS)
sensor. All maritime vessels over a certain size
must have an AIS transmitter, identifying the
ships name, speed, position and heading. A
Camcopter UAV surveying a harbour area with
an AIS sensor could be used to identify all the
vessels in the port and provide security
organisations with a clearer picture of activity.
We are also working with the very effective
Selex PicoSAR active electronically scanned
array radar, which in a harbour scenario will
immediately detect any moving vessels,
whether they are the size of a trawler or a
jet ski, said Day. Then, using EO we can
positively ID that vessel to keep a closer eye
on movement within a harbour, including
any suspicious activity.
nn ADDING SAGE
To that end, the company is also working with
Selex ES to integrate its Sage ESM. This sensor
provides RF situation awareness that can
aid rapid decision-making, via accurate threat
classification and emitter mapping, by passively
collecting emitter data from RF sources at a
tactically significant range.
People involved in suspicious activity
generally need to speak to each other, so using
this sensor, Camcopter can be used to detect
radio traffic and give a geo-location of where
those radios are transmitting, explained Day.
While were tracking that communication
activity, we can fly towards it and ID the source
vessel using conventional EO to understand who
they are and what they are doing in the area.
These advances within the unmanned arena
are providing coast guard, port police and naval
forces with a wide range of flexible solutions for
the harbour protection challenge. Whether
used as a supplement to manned assets or in
place of them, these systems offer a cost-
effective way for operators to ensure that ports
and harbours remain protected against threats
and open for business. UV
WWW.VOLZ-SERVOS.COM
VOLZ SERVOS
Actuator Supplier for
Unmanned Systems Group
Actuator Supplier for
Unmanned Systems Group
Shephard_Dez2013.indd 1 22.01.14 12:15
26
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Invisible
touch
properties, a greater level of detail can be
obtained from a collected image, essentially
allowing an operator to see beyond what the
human eye or an IR sensor can.
nn INFORMATION INTERPRETATION
Hyperspectral information is what we call non-
literal information we have to go into the
individual spectra and try and process that so
there is some information that you can then
interpret, Mark Salvador, chief engineer at
Exelis Geospatial Systems, told Unmanned
Vehicles.
However, it is not just a case of adding the
sensor to the vehicle the additional spectral
capability comes with greater space, processing,
exploitation and dissemination demands.
The lack of processing algorithms has
previously been one of the main hurdles to a
fully commercialised hyperspectral system, but
now industry is working to combine all
elements of this technology into a more
useable package.
The critical element here is in the past in the
hyperspectral community we would collect data
on the aircraft, wait until the aircraft landed and
process the data on the ground because of the
volume of data associated, explained Salvador.
With automated, real-time, onboard processing,
we can process that data in the air, and instead of
waiting to download volumes of data, we can
now take the detection and identification of
materials that are processed in the air and send
that down instead.
HSI serves as another level of information that
UAV operators have not been exposed to yet,
and, alongside colour imagery, adds more
operating detail.
O
perators of unmanned technology are
benefiting from additional capability
beyond the trusty EO/IR payload carried
by most platforms, as spectral sensors look to do
more than just record what they see.
Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) utilises more
bands of the electromagnetic spectrum than
other sensors, and there are many different
applications for such a refined technology,
ranging from ground mapping to ISR.
The human eye, for example, can only visualise
light in three bands red, blue and green while
hyperspectral sensing can detect multiple
wavelengths. As a result, it is able to capitalise on
colour differentials between objects and their
background by distinguishing between the
detected spectral properties.
In turn, it then creates a spectral signature
of different elements. By categorising such
Hyperspectral imaging is gathering pace in the military domain. Beth Stevenson looks at how
industry is integrating this valuable technology into current and future ISTAR systems.
Headwall sensors can cover a wide range of the
electromagnetic spectrum. (Photos: Headwall)
HSI sensors have been used on the SkyJib VTOL UAV for research applications.
UV_FebMar14_p26-31_Hyperspectral.indd 26 29/01/2014 13:08:37
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
27
I think whenever payloads are discussed for
existing or new UAVs, on the US military side
hyperspectral is always one of the possible new
payloads that is on there because its proven
itself and can tackle certain missions that are out
there, noted Salvador. I think that is just going to
grow into other missions and spaces. Its certainly
a sensor payload that is always considered when
a sensor payload is assessed.
HSI systems are currently being used on
board UAVs for both commercial and military
applications, and the technology is by no means
new, with well-known unmanned platforms
integrating the technology.
nn CONTRACT AWARDS
Raytheon is under contract to provide 23
Airborne Cueing and Exploitation System
Hyperspectral (ACES HY) systems to the USAF for
use on board the MQ-1 Predator UAV, among
others.
Tim Cronin, director of strategy and business
development for surveillance and targeting
systems at Raytheon Space and Airborne
Systems, told UV that 19 systems have been
delivered to date, with the last four under
contract expected in 2014.
Of the 23 systems ordered, we have delivered
19 of them, and a lot of those have been
deployed and are in operational use on two
different platforms, he explained. One is the
MQ-1 Predator that the air force operates, and
the other is a manned, fixed-wing platform for
another US DoD service.
Those are the two platforms that we are
supporting right now, but we have received a
contract to study the integration of the system
into a pod. We have done a preliminary flight test
to gather data and everything looks really good,
and we expect to get a follow-on contract this
year to do initial testing and integration on an
MQ-9 Reaper.
nn EASY INTEGRATION
The development of the pod integration will
allow ACES HY to be easily installed on other
aircraft. The MQ-1 houses sensors in its nose,
whereas a pod under the wing is required for
MQ-9 integration.
Once it is in the pod, the ability to put it on
other platforms will be quite easy, Cronin
explained. We are opening it up to be used on
more platforms and the integration time will be
shorter.
As well as developing the ACES HY
technology, the company is also looking to
integrate HSI into other systems that it develops,
including the Multi-Spectral Targeting System.
One of the upgrade paths for that is to install a
hyperspectral capability, Cronin explained. It
probably wont be as comprehensive as ACES
HY, but will add a hyperspectral element to the
turret. So that would be independent of the
ACES HY programme.
Raytheon is currently awaiting a contract from
the USAF for 17 advanced processing systems for
ACES HY. We do not have the have the contract
yet for the enhanced processors, but we do
expect to get a contract in 2014, noted Cronin.
We have been developing processing
enhancements for some time, and the
processing is a big piece of it. We expect to be
able to make these improvements once we get
awarded the contract to improve the target
detection and identification. It will also increase
the speed at which we can detect targets.
He said that the advanced processing will
allow the user to sift through data quickly in
order to find the information required, and all
existing sub-contractors will participate in the
contract.
nn BUSINESS ACQUISITION
Exelis acquired Space Computer Corporation
and its processing capability in 2012, and in turn
a place on the Raytheon-led ACES HY
programme.
Exelis offers onboard processing for HSI, and is
concentrating its efforts on developing the
longwave hyperspectral system Blue Heron.
Thats technology that has transitioned from
the US government, which we purchased the
system for, and is essentially improving the
implementation of the sensor under our own
internal R&D dollars, and linking to onboard
processing, added Salvador.
The system was expected to be flown on a
Cessna Caravan surrogate aircraft in early
February as UV went to press, while Exelis is
looking to support military testing of Blue Heron
at some point in 2014.
For that particular longwave system, one of
the primary things that it does is detection of
gases in the atmosphere, continued Salvador.
So there are various US military customers who
are interested in that sensor as well as some of
our allied international customers.
nn UNCOMMON APPROACH
Exelis took on the task of further developing the
processing, as well as incorporating the
28
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
technology into a 20in gimbal, something
uncommon for HSI technology.
Most of the hyperspectral systems that are
out there are typically just pointing straight
down and you have to fly over target, noted
Salvador. In this application, since it is integrated
into a gimbal, we can essentially look over and
into adjacent areas without having to fly directly
over them.
If youre looking across a border, for example,
or a location that you cannot fly directly over in a
denied area or so forth, you can actually point
this system across the horizon and look at a
different location.
He continued: One thing that has prevented
us in the past is when you are not looking
straight down but further across the horizon,
there is more atmosphere to deal with, and that
tends to limit the range and performance of the
sensor, as well as affect the processing
algorithms. So thats something were working
on and implementing with regards to our Blue
Heron system.
Salvador said that the system is suitable for
some of the larger UAVs like Gray Eagle and
MQ-9, both of which could handle it.
On the commercial side, Exelis is developing
an Airborne Rapid Material Identification System
(ARAMIS), a very near-IR (VNIR)/shortwave IR
(SWIR) airborne hyperspectral system with
onboard processing. Work has just begun, and
the company hopes to have a lab-based system
ready to collect data by the end of 2014.
The real-time nature of processing for military
systems may or may not transfer into the
ARAMIS system, but whats important is that we
can do onboard processing very quickly, and
have results either on board or sent to the
ground very quickly after collection, Salvador
noted, although data will still be processed
within minutes.
nn EARLY EXAMINATIONS
HSI is also arguably difficult to exploit because of
the swathes of data produced. Back in 2001, the
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) put its
efforts into researching the exploitation element
of this sensing to integrate capabilities found
across a range of such systems.
In the Rapid C4I High Performance
Computing for Hyperspectral Imaging
Exploitation paper that it released, the AFRL
explains that a web-based interface is being
developed so that operators can select data
sources, exploitation time intervals and a
parallelised exploitation method for execution.
A single hyperspectral image consists of
200 or more bands, times the number of spatial
pixels in the horizontal and vertical direction,
yielding data acquisition rates of tens to
hundreds of megabytes per second, the
paper explains. Most of the data that will be
collected will be stored in ground-based data
repositories. High-performance computing can
play a key role by supporting timely
exploitation of these voluminous data sources.
Global awareness is the air forces answer. The
goal of global awareness is to provide ubiquitous,
consistent and integrated battlespace
information on demand that is tailored to the
needs of the commander and the warfighter.
In addition to exploitation issues, there is also
the need to expand the spectrum over which
hyperspectral data can be collected. Through the
three-year NATO-led Phenomenology and
Exploitation of Thermal Hyperspectral Sensing/
SET-ET-072 effort, which began in January 2013,
participating nations agreed on two objectives
to enhance exploitation of HSI data.
The first was the need to make progress on
the understanding of the phenomenology of
longwave IR (LWIR) hyperspectral sensing and
the contribution of medium-wave IR and SWIR
hyperspectral sensing to support the LWIR
exploitation; while the second was the need for a
shared hyperspectral dataset to make progress
in understanding the performance of HSI
exploitation algorithms.
nn SUMMER TRIAL
As a consequence, the SET-ET-072 nations
unanimously recommend the creation of an
RTG [research and technology group] whose
objective would be to plan and execute a joint
airborne summer trial conducted in 2014 and
exploit the data collected, the solicitation reads.
This trial will be focused on the detection and
identification of IED observables specifically, and
CBRNE threats in general.
The knowledge gained through the
programme, including phenomenology,
data and exploitation tools, is expected to
contribute to the understanding of how to
mitigate IED-related threats by focusing on the
detection of specific observables during their
life cycle.
The need for a spectral database is arguably
preventing full commercialisation of such a
technology, as collecting and independently
storing such information can be tiresome and
take up a lot of storage. The sheer volume of
data itself can also make it difficult to exploit.
If I want to find a material thats out in the
field somewhere, I need to know what that
spectra looks like before I go and look for it,
noted Salvador. The military for many years has
built its own spectral libraries of unique military-
significant materials, and there are also
commercial libraries that exist, but the overlap
between a military-significant material and a
commercially significant material can be quite
large.
An HSI sensor, for example, could be used to
provide characterisation of soil, something
particularly important to precision agriculture, an
area where UAV use is expected to grow.
nn COME TOGETHER
Headwall Photonics manufactures systems
specifically for UAVs in both the commercial
and defence markets, and company CEO
David Bannon observed that a lot of users look
to detect across the SWIR range, which covers
around 900-2,500nm.
Theres also a lot of interest in putting
together a broader range so you can go to
400-2,500nm to cover the full vegetation
The MQ-1 has been deployed with ACES HY sensors. (Photo: General Atomics Aeronautical)
PATROLLER
TM
, THE TACTICAL DRONE
EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTIONS
by Sagem
The long-endurance, multi-sensor tactical drone system
The new Patroller UAS from Sagem carries a wide array of sensors to address all your surveillance requirements, from real-time
intelligence to protection of ground troops. Drawing on nine years of combat experience by our Sperwer UAS in Afghanistan,
Patroller is a 1-ton tactical drone with 24-hour endurance, an EASA-certifed airframe and payload capacity exceeding 250 kg
not to mention extremely quiet operation. It integrates advanced mission-planning, reconnaissance, positioning, automatic
target tracking and real-time data fusion functions, plus a NATO-compatible ground station. Sagems new long-endurance drone
carries the payload that matches your needs, for extra sensory perceptions! www.sagem.com
Patroller_UK_205-273_2013-12-12.indd 1 16/01/2014 10:20 UV_FebMar14_p26-31_Hyperspectral.indd 28 29/01/2014 13:08:39
PATROLLER
TM
, THE TACTICAL DRONE
EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTIONS
by Sagem
The long-endurance, multi-sensor tactical drone system
The new Patroller UAS from Sagem carries a wide array of sensors to address all your surveillance requirements, from real-time
intelligence to protection of ground troops. Drawing on nine years of combat experience by our Sperwer UAS in Afghanistan,
Patroller is a 1-ton tactical drone with 24-hour endurance, an EASA-certifed airframe and payload capacity exceeding 250 kg
not to mention extremely quiet operation. It integrates advanced mission-planning, reconnaissance, positioning, automatic
target tracking and real-time data fusion functions, plus a NATO-compatible ground station. Sagems new long-endurance drone
carries the payload that matches your needs, for extra sensory perceptions! www.sagem.com
Patroller_UK_205-273_2013-12-12.indd 1 16/01/2014 10:20 UV_FebMar14_p26-31_Hyperspectral.indd 29 29/01/2014 13:08:39
30
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
visible range as well as the SWIR, noted
Bannon. The way you would do that is put a
VNIR and SWIR sensor together and allow it to
fly that.
As these airframes get larger, were able to
stick two very small hyperspectral sensors
together to give that broad range capability.
Additionally, some people like to fly lidar with
hyperspectral, so a larger payload capability will
allow you to couple compatible technologies
together.
nn SYSTEM PROVISION
Headwall has provided systems for Insitus
ScanEagle UAV, as well as a range of commercial
customers and research institutes.
[HSI] is extremely well suited to those
commercial applications, and the market has
evolved to be adopters of hyperspectral sensor
technology, continued Bannon. What has
enabled that growth is the fact that years ago
when we were selling primarily to the military
market, we were providing just a sensor, and
they would take that imager and work out how
to put all of the related components next to it.
What weve seen is there has been demand
on the commercial side, but not necessarily the
same level of spectroscopy or instrument
knowledge.
The company has been trying to simplify the
integration onto the appropriate UAV for its
systems. Weve had to engineer the complexity
out of these solutions to make them readily
available, readily understood and readily
adopted by the commercial side, he added.
Besides airborne applications, utilisation of HSI
in the ground robotics arena is becoming
evident. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL)
has carried out studies to determine how HSI can
aid with the navigation and obstacle avoidance
of a UGV.
In its Hyperspectral Imaging and Obstacle
Detection for Robotics Navigation paper, the
ARL describes experiments that it carried out
that looked to provide an alternative to
conventional broadband imaging sensors such
HSI offers a new depth to imagery gathered by unmanned systems. (Images: Headwall)
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
31
as FLIR, which only use spatial signatures,
and in turn limit the detection performance of
the UGV.
The HSI sensor mounted on the UGV is
therefore expected to greatly improve the
performance of obstacle detection by providing
high-resolution spectral profiles of materials
within the neighbouring areas of the UGV,
it explains.
nn SENSE AND AVOID
By creating detection algorithms and target
classification techniques, the ARL was able to
identify and avoid objects in line of the UGV
using hyperspectral sensing.
The developed algorithms satisfactorily
detect objects such as military vehicles, barbed
wire and a chain-link fence, the paper continues.
It can be expected that the developed
hyperspectral sensing systems will help UGVs
navigate an unknown area more safely with
increased speed.
The algorithms will be a little bit different, but
the sensors and processing and libraries tend to
be the same, Salvador said regarding the
transfer of airborne HSI technology to ground-
based systems. There are ground-based
applications that were looking at the US
military has looked at ground-based applications
for some time, and now there are some
commercial and international applications in
security and surveillance.
It isnt always an easy transition because the
physics of transferring something looking
straight across the ground, versus looking
straight down at it, are different.
nn THE RIGHT LIGHT
Because hyperspectral sensors are passive, they
depend on a light source to provide the signal
that gets back to the sensor. One problem with
ground-based hyperspectral systems is that the
light source has to be found from somewhere in
the right proportions.
Headwall also offers its Hyperspec Snapshot
for ground-based systems. It actually spun out of
some of the work that we did for the US military
when they were looking for sniper detection and
objects at a distance of about a mile away,
Bannon concluded. What weve seen is that
there is a growing demand. It is behind the aerial
platforms in terms of demand, but there is
certainly interest in deployments of HSI on
different robotic platforms, and most of that is
military. UV
29 30 APRIL 2014 | OLYMPIA, LONDON
Counter Terror Expo offers the most comprehensive display
of technology, equipment and services alongside a high level
education programme designed to protect against the evolving
security threat.
9,500 attendees and 400+ exhibitors will participate in a free
to attend exhibition, multiple show oor workshops, new
show feature zones, IEDD demo area, high level conference
streams, behind closed door briengs and networking
events in one secure environment.
CTX 2014 is a must attend event for professionals within;
Anti-Piracy, Aviation, Banking, Border Control,
Communications, Critical National Infrastructure, Emergency
Services, Energy, Finance, Gendarmerie, Government,
Health, IEDD Regiments, Immigration, Intelligence
Agencies, IT, Logistics, Maritime, Military, MOD, Nuclear,
Oil & Gas, Police, Private Sector, Security Companies,
Supply Chain, Transport Security, Utilities and Water
Visit the event website to discover why you should attend
CTX 2014
Co-Located with Supported By Integrated Security
Sponsor
Lead Media
Partner
Scanning & Screening
Sponsor
67065-55_CTX03a_Advert-for-Unmanned-Vehicles_205x273mm_2014_v1.indd 1 16/01/2014 14:09 UV_FebMar14_p32.indd 32 29/01/2014 13:14:12
UGV NAVI GATI ON
33
A matter of course
high-accuracy positioning required by UAS
representative capabilities that may even
exceed the mandates of ground vehicle
navigation.
nn GPS HURDLES
In another example, TORC Robotics has
developed its PinPoint system, which is
designed to overcome GPS limitations in valleys,
foliage or tunnels through the use of multi-
sensor fusion that combines the input of inertial
and speed sensors along with dual GPS
receivers to provide real-time position,
orientation, velocity and time information.
Citing the three companies noted previously
as representative of the expertise in this arena,
Myron Mills, programme manager for the
Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) UGV at
Lockheed Martin, offered what he described
as an end-users perspective on what that
programme sees in the industry and where
the company is taking the technology on its
platforms.
All of those companies are at the forefront of
working that technology and trying to bring
products to market that systems integrators like
us are interested in using, he said.
As far as where Lockheed Martin is going with
the technology, Mills added: [The company is]
evaluating new products by those [three]
companies and others, as well as some internal
work being done by our R&D teams.
Were trying to maintain the same kinds of
high-precision and high-accuracy GPS that we
have been using, but drive the cost down. As
everyone knows, our customers, particularly
O
ne area of UGV technology that has
experienced significant advances over
the past few years involves navigation
subsystems, where companies such as NovAtel,
TORC Robotics, Robotics Research and others
continue to develop new generations of
nav boxeswhich enhance the utility of
autonomous UGV platforms.
NovAtel, for example, provides platform
integrators with high-precision positioning
products. One of the companys latest
navigation releases in this area is the OEM638
global navigation satellite system (GNSS)
receiver. As the latest and most capable of
the OEM6 series, the OEM638 is a 240-channel
board that tracks all present and upcoming
GNSS constellations. The system uses
100Hz real-time kinematics to provide robust,
Complementing the thriving
UGV industry is a subsystems
sector that seeks innovation in
high-precision positioning
devices. Scott R Gourley
explores recent developments.
Lockheed Martin is evaluating industry products and conducting internal R&D to add a precision navigation capability to the SMSS. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)
UV_FebMar14_p33-37_UGV_nav.indd 33 29/01/2014 13:17:10
34
UGV NAVI GATI ON
on the military side, are very cost-constrained in
the current environment. Its hard enough to
push programmes forward without having
systems that are really expensive, so we are very
conscious of the fact that, as we begin to take
these UGV products to market, the cost has got
to come down from what it cost to build them
in small quantities of ones and twos.
So, as part of our ongoing affordability effort,
were looking at GPS and inertial navigation
system [INS] solutions that we can put into the
vehicles that will allow us to maintain our
capabilities while driving the cost down.
nn INTEGRATING INFORMATION
Mills explained that part of the navigation
solution involved a search for packages that
allow integration of the information from other
sensors on the system. He noted: You may have
wheel-encoded data or data from other types of
sensors that youd like to integrate into the
system. And the navigation box, if you will, or
the navigation unit, can filter that information
and combine it with the GPS and IMU [inertial
measurement unit] information and give you a
better solution.
Noting that Lockheed Martin is clearly
capable of doing that type of integration work
itself, he offered: Heritage-wise, we have done
that on missile systems in the past. But now
were looking at it from the standpoint of buying
a product from a supplier that really integrates
that solution to try to help get costs down. And
we are looking at people who are doing that
kind of coupling within their own nav boxes.
Mills said that another piece of the navigation
puzzle from a GPS/INS standpoint involves an
expectation that customers will ask for jam-
resistant designs as systems move into military
markets.
We expect that they will ask for products that
conform to some of the military encrypted GPS
systems, anti-spoofing systems, and things
like that, he offered. So we are taking a look at
what it would take, as we go forward, to be able
to harden these systems up for the specific
military user.
That may require a combination approach of
us working that internally again bringing our
long heritage of missile capabilities and some
of these suppliers. And some of those suppliers
have certainly also worked on the missile
navigation side of things as well. And together
we will try to bring that capability to the military
user without driving the cost up.
He readily acknowledged that the cited
approach is a challenging thing to do, but
reiterated a company belief that it is a future
area that we need to be taking a look at.
nn APPROACHING DENIAL
Asked to expand on the nuances of operating in
a true GPS-denied setting, Mills asserted that
there are several different ways to approach
that environment.
As one example, he pointed to a UGV design
that would incorporate anti-jam capabilities to
allow the system to work through GPS
jamming. In another example, he offered that
Lockheed Martin, as well as several other
companies and universities, are working on
capabilities that combine data from other
sensor systems, possibly in conjunction with
existing a priori data.
For example, if you have overhead imagery
of an area and you know generally where you
might want to traverse and what kinds of
features there are, you can use that information
to your advantage, to take the load off the
autonomy system a little bit, he said.
Other ongoing efforts involve using other
sensor systems including lidar cameras and
FLIR systems to fuse data with IMU
information and be able to operate in
GPS-denied environments.
Mills added that other navigation efforts
across industry are focusing on operational
environments not suited for UGVs such as
the SMSS.
If youve got a UUV or a smaller UGV meant
to operate in buildings or a subterranean
environment, you dont have GPS anyway, he
noted. So you have got to find other navigation
solutions in those environments.
Asked about other UGV navigation
technology trends on the horizon, he
acknowledged that the automobile industry is
becoming interesting. He said: We are watching
a lot of the developments surrounding the
different levels of autonomy that the auto
industry is exploring. As an outgrowth of that, we
are seeing the industry working on sensors like
lidar and radar and to bring the cost point down
on those to the place where they are sellable
on a consumer product like an automobile.
The cost of those sensors has to be an order
of magnitude less than what is going on in
development for the military market right now.
So we are very interested in watching what is
going on in that area and trying to harvest some
of that commercial/industrial technology.
nn CIVIL BENEFITS
In fact, the automotive industry efforts were also
highlighted in the US DoDs Unmanned
Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2013-2038,
Boston Dynamics, recently acquired by
Google, utilised lidar technology in its Atlas
robot project for DARPA. (Photo: DARPA)
1817 10th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T3C 0K2 Telephone (403) 266-4094 Fax (403) 269-1140
Docket: 35835 Due Date: Jun.26.2013 Client: NovAtel Description: SPAN Air
Size: Full page bleed (205mm x 273mm) Insertion date: TBD Publication: Unmanned Vehicles Colour: cmyk
Account Ex: Account Ex Designer: H.Freistatter Production: Storm Design Inc
SPAN
. Your positioning superhero.

SPAN is the worlds most reliable OEM GNSS/INS technology, with the ability to provide continuous
position, velocity and attitude. So an unprecedented missionlike landing an unmanned helicopter
on a moving marine vesselno longer stands in the way of success. Imagine how this kind of
sensory superpower will help you rule in your world. As always, well keep your identity secret.
To find out more, visit novatel.com/span or call you know who.
Integrate success into your .
MAKE EXACT POSITIONING A SIXTH SENSE
Novatel_SPANAir_FP_UnmannedVehicles_Jul.indd 1 13-06-26 10:18 AM UV_FebMar14_p33-37_UGV_nav.indd 34 29/01/2014 13:17:11
1817 10th Avenue SW Calgary, AB T3C 0K2 Telephone (403) 266-4094 Fax (403) 269-1140
Docket: 35835 Due Date: Jun.26.2013 Client: NovAtel Description: SPAN Air
Size: Full page bleed (205mm x 273mm) Insertion date: TBD Publication: Unmanned Vehicles Colour: cmyk
Account Ex: Account Ex Designer: H.Freistatter Production: Storm Design Inc
SPAN
. Your positioning superhero.

SPAN is the worlds most reliable OEM GNSS/INS technology, with the ability to provide continuous
position, velocity and attitude. So an unprecedented missionlike landing an unmanned helicopter
on a moving marine vesselno longer stands in the way of success. Imagine how this kind of
sensory superpower will help you rule in your world. As always, well keep your identity secret.
To find out more, visit novatel.com/span or call you know who.
Integrate success into your .
MAKE EXACT POSITIONING A SIXTH SENSE
Novatel_SPANAir_FP_UnmannedVehicles_Jul.indd 1 13-06-26 10:18 AM UV_FebMar14_p33-37_UGV_nav.indd 35 29/01/2014 13:17:11
36
UGV NAVI GATI ON
released 23 December 2013. It states: Several
top auto manufacturers are quickly developing
prototypes with varying technologies for civil
auto applications. These technologies will
benefit the civil community through fuel and
time savings and improved safety and will
certainly have benefits to the DoD as well.
However, not everyone sees the activities of
the civil auto industry as a panacea for future
military UGV applications.
With the caveat that some of the companys
specific internal activities are proprietary and
in the works, John Beck, chief engineer for
unmanned systems at Oshkosh, provided an
overview of his companys navigation
technology efforts and how they might differ
from the commercial sector. He began by
drawing distinctions between commercial
automotive technology efforts and those
required in a more demanding military climate.
If you look at some of the automotive
technologies, such as Traffic Jam Assist, where
some automotive manufacturers are touting
self-driving vehicles on public roads as
upcoming features that will be released in the
next year or so, they require well-defined
environments, he said. You have to have nice
painted lines on the road.
You are able to detect the other cars around
you and things like that, but its not going to
detect something like a pothole. These things
are in fairly benign environments. Even though
they are very active and dynamic, its a little bit
different than in some of the environments
that the logistics vehicles we manufacture are
subjected to, such as severe off-road types of
environments, where you need to detect the
big hole in the road. You need to operate on
primary, secondary and trail types of roads.
nn PERCEPTIVE APPROACH
Based on that operational framework, Beck said
that a lot of the challenges in UGV navigation
are based on the ability to understand, operate
and deal with the uncertainties in those types
of environments.
As a result, he said that some of the areas that
Oshkosh has explored and continues to pursue
include a heavy focus on the perception side of
things perception meaning the sensing and
the processing behind those sensors in order to
interpret the environment correctly.
Offering the uncertainties surrounding dust as
one environmental factor that has traditionally
challenged sensors like lidar, he explained: Lidar
is really, really good at detecting obstacles and
objects to the centimetre level, and will give you
excellent ranging information as well as other
things. When it comes to dust, one of two things
can happen the lidar can either return off the
dust to indicate what could be an obstacle, or it
can be completely absorbed by the dust, leaving
an empty space.
Leader in UAV propulsion systems.
Manufacturer/designer of complete propulsion
systems including: starter/generator, reduction
drive, propeller, engine mount, throttle servo,
silencer, including system break-in & qualification.
Heavy fuel solutions (Jet A, JP5, JP8).
Special helicopter propulsion systems.
Proven TBO>250hrs.
UAV Propulsion Solutions

Headquarters: info@hirth-engines.de PH: +49-7144-8551-0 www.hirth-engines.de
USA: Bob Schmidt PH: +1 (810) 441-1457 schmidt@hirth-engines.de
Nav box technology has been applied to Kairos Autonomis Team Chiron robot. (Photo: DARPA)
UGV NAVI GATI ON
37
Stemming from those challenges, he said
that the company continues to work on fusing
the lidar information with other sensor
modalities, such as radar and vision information,
so that we understand that we are dealing
with things like dust. And weve done a very
good job of having the vehicle being able to
autonomously understand that its operating in
dust and then behave appropriately in those
types of common theatre situations.
As another perception challenge for
autonomous UGVs, he offered the need to
understand the differences in something being
in the road and whether or not it represents a
true obstacle.
So one of the things we are using is the ability
to classify obstacles in your environment as
either hazardous or non-hazardous and giving
those different grades of cost, if you will.
Vegetation, for example, is not very costly
because we can usually drive over a branch
or a tumbleweed. So to understand whether
or not something is a benign obstacle is very
important to autonomous UGV navigation.
nn KEY THEME
Becks focus on perception issues echoes a key
theme in the recently released DoD roadmap,
which credited the accuracy and robustness
of a UGVs perception systems as critical to
autonomous navigation.
Designing a perception system capable of
dealing with all types of environments is very
challenging with the current technology, the
roadmap asserts. To constrain the problem,
current state-of-the-art UGS [unmanned ground
systems] are designed from the ground up to
operate within an assumed environment. If
these assumptions are valid, the UGS often
operate effectively.
The UGS will fail to operate as intended,
however, when circumstances are different
from assumed. To alleviate this problem, it is
desirable to have a perception system that can
adapt to various environments.
Beck commented: Once you start
understanding the environment, the next
question is how you should drive in that
environment. So weve also done some work on
the motion planner side of things, to the point
where we can actually teach the vehicle how to
drive with these different costs, if you will, so
that it will exhibit more human-like behaviour
versus robotic-like behaviour.
He added that the advanced machine
learning techniques used in the cost decision
process also open the door to new vehicle
parameters that not only address driving
environments, but different modalities of
driving, such as an operational change from a
convoy mission to a route clearance one, with
each presenting its own required behaviour set.
nn COST REDUCTIONS
Asked about his personal observations on
subsystem trends, Beck offered: One of the
things I see out there is are lot more players
coming on with lower cost solutions. And
its going to be interesting to see how this all
plays out. Currently, we are using a tactical
IMU/INS military-grade solution that provides
a requirement that we see for SAASM
[Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module]
capability, so that the GPS can operate in
tactical RF environments.
So, as more and more people bring that
capability into the marketplace, the cost of the
gyros and accelerometers for the IMU portion of
that solution is also coming down, with smaller
packaging and those types of things. So we
continue to keep our finger on the pulse of
that market.
In a related area, he said that the
company has also continued to improve
on its capabilities to operate in GPS-denied
environments. In previous experiments with
government customers, weve run for multiple
kilometres up to a couple of hours with no
GPS whatsoever, he concluded. And we do
that using ground truth geospatial data
referenced with what the vehicle is seeing with
its perception data. UV
Call 800.449.3878 or visit us online at www.microstrain.com
A New Paradigm
in Tactical GPS/INS
Discover a cost-efective rugged tactical-grade
Inertial Navigation System that is smallest and
lightest in its class.
3DM-RQ1
-45
MStrain_3DMRQ1.indd 1 9/25/13 1:19 PM
There are a lot more players
coming on with lower-cost
solutions.
P R O V I D I N G D E F E N C E
I N T E L L I G E N C E WO R L D WI D E .
Print. Web. Email. You get the idea.
Visit ShephardMedia.com
UV_FebMar14_p38.indd 38 29/01/2014 13:18:38
PARAPUBLI C
39
Civil
servants
However, it continues: The precise
specifications to enable [UAVs] to conform to
regulatory requirements governing full access
to airspace are not yet mature.
More specifically, the report highlights
parapublic or first responder utilities
including border patrol, maritime surveillance
and humanitarian assistance/disaster
relief in the event of hurricanes, floods or
earthquakes.
GA-ASI UK claimed that US Department of
Homeland Security operations of Predator B
UAS had contributed to the capture of some
3,450kg of illegal drugs and 467 apprehensions
of individuals partaking in illegal activities.
Elsewhere, UAS assisted in: safeguarding
maritime approaches; supporting
first response to Hurricane Gustav in 2008;
monitoring water levels following North
Dakotas Red River Valley flood in 2009;
detecting wildfire hotspots in Arizona and
California; and aiding search and rescue (SAR)
efforts following the Haiti earthquake in 2010.
nn BORDERLINE USES
Speaking to Unmanned Vehicles, Scott Dann,
director of strategic development at GA-ASI,
described the US Customs and Border
Protection (CBP) agency as its biggest customer
outside the military domain. Task lines include
patrolling of borders for narco-terrorism and
immigration enforcement, which he said
dovetailed with SAR missions in the deserts
of New Mexico, for example.
Immigration folks coming across [the
US-Mexico border] are not narco-terrorists, but
normal people crossing the border illegally
mostly, but not criminals and getting into
trouble in the deserts during hot temperatures,
he explained.
To date, CBP operates ten Predator B aircraft,
including its Guardian platforms that are used
for maritime search. Having first supplied the
agency with systems in 2005, Dann described a
slow build-up of unmanned capabilities, with
the agency aspiring to operate a total of 24
aircraft. However, he acknowledged that
budgets remain tight.
The existing systems are flown out of just
three locations in CONUS, including Fort
Huachuca in Arizona, Corpus Christi in Texas
and Grand Forks in North Dakota the latter
covering the northern border of the US.
Under the jurisdiction of the Department of
Homeland Security, CBP also works closely with
other law enforcement agencies in a variety of
joint operations. It is within these blurred
T
he past decade of UAS operations has
been dominated by the military market.
Ongoing task lines in Afghanistan and
Iraq have created substantial awareness of
their utility and the market has subsequently
boomed worldwide as state actors of all shapes
and sizes seek to benefit from this technology.
However, US FAA approval of airspace
integration not to mention similar efforts
being undertaken around the world, such as by
the CAA in the UK will have significant impact
on the non-military market.
In January, the FAA finally selected six
operators to run UAV test sites that will assist
in the integration of unmanned technology
into the national airspace (see also p5).
According to information released by AUVSI
in 2013, this portion of the market could be
worth more than $82 billion between 2015 and
2025. Of this sum, agricultural capabilities
assume $75.6 billion of the market, with
environmental and oil and gas sectors
accounting for just over $3.2 billion.
The final $3.2 billion tranche belongs to
government authorities, which are also
known as first responders or parapublic
bodies and include emergency services and
homeland security.
nn CONTROL GROUPS
Providing evidence to the UK government
in November on the wider utility of UAVs,
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems
UK (GA-ASI UK) confirmed that further
development of civilian applications will
depend to a large extent on certifying [UAVs]
to operate in controlled airspace.
Beyond their typical military operating environment, unmanned
systems are seeing increasing demand from parapublic operators.
Andrew White takes a look at this emerging marketplace.
ReconRobotics business is split 50:50

between military and law enforcement
customers. (Photo: ReconRobotics)
UV_FebMar14_p39-42_Parapublic.indd 39 29/01/2014 13:20:03
40
PARAPUBLI C
crossovers that Dann loses specific awareness
of UAS activity.
We, as a company, dont have visibility
as to what operations they do with other
government agencies, but they are mostly
law enforcement agencies, he asserted.
nn WILD SIDE
However, Dann described supporting
operations on behalf of the US Forest Service
and California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection in combatting wildfires. Our aircraft
have supported on occasion, and we see that as
the next likely potential, he added.
Referring to the 2007 wildfires in California,
Dann described how Predator Bs had mapped
areas of interest every night to provide
information on the location of burn lines as well
as fuel levels in the path of fires. In addition,
weather forecasting was provided, allowing
agencies to best deploy their assets.
These were strategic reconnaissance
missions, he explained. During the day, we flew
EO/IR payloads and piped video down to fire
crews so they were out of harms way in
Santa Ana conditions.
Elsewhere, Dann described the mapping of
shorelines before and after hurricanes hit the
Gulf of Mexico in order to identify damage to
critical infrastructure and provide information
to the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). All imagery was piped to FEMA
command centres and put on the Internet
for first responders, he said.
Additional operations have seen Predator B
aircraft supporting the USCG on SAR missions as
well as some overlap with counter-narco-
terrorism operations.
However, despite these obvious capabilities,
Dann remains realistic about the future of
the market. There is desire, but no formal
procurement programmes, he said. When
the world recovers from the last recession,
[first responder/parapublic] is going to be an
emerging sector, which can be accomplished
with one or two aircraft.
nn GROWTH AREAS
However, Dann agrees that FAA integration
of UAS into the national airspace remains
important for the growth of this sector. The US
is working very rapidly to put in place ways in
which commercial unmanned aircraft can fly in
national airspace. Once that happens, nobody
Innovative Heavy Fuel Engines
USA: Bob Schmidt
bschmidt@orbitalcorp.com.au
PH: +1 810-441-1457
Australia: Geoff Cathcart
gcathcart@orbitalcorp.com.au
PH: +61-89441-2400
3 to 250
+
hp
Heavy Fuel Engines
Engineered to your requirements
JP5, JP8, JetA and JetA1
Power from 3hp to 250
+
hp
Low weight and high power
Low fuel consumption
High endurance and durability
Automatic altitude compensation
Electronic oil metering
Quiet operation
ORBITAL
Spark-ignited, 2-stroke, Heavy Fuel Engines
www.orbitalcorp.com.au
I n n o v a t i v e H e a v y F u e l E n g i n e s
U S A : B o b S c h m i d t
b s c h m i d t @ o r b i t a l c o r p . c o m . a u
P H : + 1 8 1 0 - 4 4 1 - 1 4 5 7
A u s t r a l i a : G e o f f C a t h c a r t
g c a t h c a r t @ o r b i t a l c o r p . c o m . a u
P H : + 6 1 - 8 9 4 4 1 - 2 4 0 0
3 t o 2 5 0
+
h p
H e a v y F u e l E n g i n e s
E n g i n e e r e d t o y o u r r e q u i r e m e n t s
J P 5 , J P 8 , J e t A a n d J e t A 1
P o w e r f r o m 3 h p t o 2 5 0
+
h p
L o w w e i g h t a n d h i g h p o w e r
L o w f u e l c o n s u m p t i o n
H i g h e n d u r a n c e a n d d u r a b i l i t y
A u t o m a t i c a l t i t u d e c o m p e n s a t i o n
E l e c t r o n i c o i l m e t e r i n g
Q u i e t o p e r a t i o n
O R B I T A L
S p a r k - i g n i t e d , 2 - s t r o k e , H e a v y F u e l E n g i n e s
w w w . o r b i t a l c o r p . c o m . a u
P H : + 1 8 1 0 - 4 4 1 - 1 4 5 7
P H : + 6 1 - 8 9 4 4 1 - 2 4 0 0
3 t o 2 5 0
+
h p
P o w e r f r o m 3 h p t o 2 5 0
+
h p
O R B I T A L
P H : + 1 8 1 0 - 4 4 1 - 1 4 5 7
P H : + 6 1 - 8 9 4 4 1 - 2 4 0 0
3 t o 2 5 0
+
h p
P o w e r f r o m 3 h p t o 2 5 0
+
h p
O R B I T A L
PARAPUBLI C
41
can predict what happens in terms of
commercial growth. A lot of people are straining
their imaginations, and I think the commercial
sector is the biggest growth sector in the next
decade.
In the UGV market, iRobot has a long history
of working with first responder/parapublic
agencies. Tom Phelps, director of robotics
products, North America, at the company,
explained to UV: A year and a half ago, iRobot
recognised the need to focus on markets outside
the DoD and international military. We organised
a management team to identify international
and North American non-DoD growth areas.
Highlighting users in Canada, Mexico and the
US, he continued: We are very focused on law
enforcement applications, emergency response,
fire services, industrial [use] and developing
new markets.
The company continues to support existing
military customers, particularly in fleet
management, however Phelps referred to a
combination of events that triggered the
management infrastructure alteration.
We had robots with law enforcement and
bomb squads transferred from EOD teams, he
said. We saw trends which acknowledged the
use of robots for tactical teams and bomb
disposal to more complex missions.
nn CLEANING UP
The nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in
2011 saw iRobot platforms including 710
Warriors assisting in control of the radiation leak.
Citing safe stand-off distances for operators,
Phelps said the platforms helped to monitor
radiation levels and recce debris and buildings
for SAR and clean-up efforts.
Though our robots were not designed to
work in that environment, they performed
extremely well and are still active today despite
high doses of radiation, he said. They could
work well in US nuclear facilities and we are
talking to power companies.
The first responder market is a growth area
for us. We have seen the trends with bomb
squads being the historical users of bots, but
as missions evolved, there was a trend towards
medium-sized robots like the 510, as well as the
110 for more confined space exploration.
Tactical teams saw a use for them, for
hostage rescue operations and getting into
barricaded areas to understand an area before
sending a team in, Phelps continued. This was
pioneered by the military, but we dont know
how missions are going to evolve over time.
The market has been a high growth
market for us. We are still not [supplying] in
the thousands, but we have hundreds of
robots with first responder organisations. Law
enforcement agencies are typically buying one
or two robots, compared to military units which
can buy tens of thousands.
nn JOINT APPROACH
However, Phelps sees a future of joint
operations between military and parapublic
organisations increasing the utility of UGVs.
Describing the Boston marathon bombing of
15 April 2013, he referred to intertwined
responses from the City of Boston, adjacent
towns, federal agencies and military units. There
was a lot of overlap and this reflects the main
thrust in our roadmap having products work
together as a cohesive unit.

The choice of over
650 clients in 60 countries
www.micropilot.com World leader in Miniature UAV Autopilots
MP2128
3X
The New Standard in Reliability
Introductory price: $18,000 USD e: info@micropilot.com p: 1 204 344.5558
Worlds Most Advanced UAV Autopilot
Three Complete Autopilots
Advanced Voting Logic
Carrier Phase GPS
Helicopter and Fixed Wing
Available Now!
Predator Bs operated by US CBP routinely

watch over critical infrastructure including
NASA launch sites. (Photo: CBP)
42
PARAPUBLI C
More specifically, he described larger
UGVs acting as communication relays, with
multiple numbers of other robot types on scene
conducting interagency tasks. Our focus is to
have a cohesive product family, he added.
Crossover limitations from parapublic to
military markets, according to Phelps, will
include terrain. Product transition from Iraq
and Afghanistan to operations in the urban
and suburban environment will require
getting further into buildings, he said. Different
capabilities are required to be successful in a first
responder mission and the area of support and
expectations of a customer is dramatically
different they need a very quick response.
Another difference is the operational tempo.
The military use systems every day. In law
enforcement, theyre used multiple times a
week or sometimes just once a month.
nn SIZE MATTERS
Looking ahead, Phelps believes there will
continue to be a trend towards smaller UGVs,
allowing them to fit into squad cars or be man-
packed. I see them becoming more prevalent
with organisations and continued collaboration
between tactical teams and police officers, with
bomb squads with medium-sized robots.
Another UGV specialist heavily involved in
the parapublic domain is ReconRobotics. A
company spokesperson told UV: Approximately
half our business is for military forces and half is
for police, bomb squads and counter-terrorism
teams. We have sold more than 4,000 of our
Recon Scout and Throwbot sensor systems,
and that ratio has varied every year.
Beginning in 2007, when we introduced the
Recon Scout, police SWAT teams and federal
law enforcement accounted for nearly all of our
sales. This continued until 2010 when various
militaries began purchasing significant numbers
of our micro-robot sensor systems. In 2011 and
2012, military sales surpassed law enforcement.
The spokesperson continued: Today, we are
seeing significant sales to foreign militaries as
well as police and counter-terrorism teams.
Many of these units train with US counterparts,
and our US customers are helping drive growth
in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
We see very little difference between our
military and police customers. They both want
throwable sensor systems that are very small
and quiet, easy to deploy and exceptionally
rugged. Each group wants to protect their
operators by giving them audio, video and IR
sensing capabilities at maximum stand-off
distance. In addition, they both appreciate that
our robots operate at low frequencies, which
allow video and audio transmissions to
penetrate walls, windows and doors.
nn AIR TO GROUND
Unlike their airborne brethren, UGVs
are faced with a far more open operating
environment. We actually see a trend towards
greater separation of military and police systems
in the future, added the spokesperson. Certain
users will want specific sensors and greater
interaction with specific aerial sensors. The
entire personal sensor market will really take
off in the next few years, and we aim to play a
significant role in driving that growth.
However, Dann still believes the same can
be applied to the UAV market. Describing the
ongoing FAA efforts to open up the airspace, he
concluded: Demand is obviously out there, and
[parapublic] is receiving plenty of attention.
People recognise that this is the next wave in
aviation. The development, vetting, testing and
validation of new systems and ideas as they
come online will be done at these test sites, in a
diversity of climate and specialisms in R&D. UV
iRobot expects its family of systems to
conduct joint operations with multiple
agencies and platforms. (Photo: iRobot)
Fifty years of remote control experience.
If you need more endurance or payload for your
UAV tasks, look for the fxed-wing UAV of choice.
- Crop & stock monitoring - Air sampling
- Meteorological research - Fire-spotting - Security and Surveillance
Interchangeable nose-cones permit multiple missions with minimum fuss.
Used by universities and governments in North America and Australasia.
4m wingspan and 25kg operating design.
Top speed 78kts, cruising 52kts. Endurance up to 10 hours.
Single-boom or twin-boom variants available.
Silvertone Electronics | 1/8 Fitzhardinge Street, Wagga Wagga NSW, 2650 Australia | +61 2 6931 8252
www.silvertone.com.au | contact@silvertone.com.au
Australian UAV Technologies Pty. Ltd. ABN 65 165 321 862 T/A Silvertone Electronics
The Flamingo
Dimdex Ad_UnManned Vehicles 20.5x27.3cm FA.pdf 1 1/22/14 2:57 PM
UV_FebMar14_p43.indd 43 29/01/2014 13:21:03
44
INTERVIEW
www.UVonline.com UNMANNED Vehicles | February/March 2014 | Volume 19 Number 1
After the curtains close
us moving to a position where we are fully
autonomous. Thats why we are trying hard with
the language and why were going from UAS to
RPAS and why we dont like the term drone.
Where we end up going may be different
in levels of autonomy to the US or others.
Previously, Ive talked about fully autonomous
systems, but what Ive learned over the past
five to ten years is what do we actually mean
by that, and is that what we really want?
nn UNDER REVIEW
Describing how the MoD and BAE Systems
Taranis UCAV had completed flight tests in
Australia by the end of last year, Osborn could
only say that future decisions regarding the
platform were under review.
Switching to the British Armys much
anticipated WK450 Watchkeeper programme,
he admitted: Its the first unmanned system to
get a release to service to operate in the UK,
and thats a big deal.
My aim as the person responsible for
Watchkeeper at the moment is to make
it deployable as quickly as it can be and
therefore were looking to bring it into
operational use this year. For all the things you
can imagine, one of those options would be to
deploy and well see how we get on over the
next few months to make a final decision. If we
were to deploy it, the benefits it would bring
would be huge.
Referring to the MoDs holistic approach
towards unmanned technology, Osborn
concluded: Were trying to make the
capability as flexible as it can be by putting the
right capability with the right UK forces at the
right time, and thats not specifically just about
Afghanistan. UV
S
peaking to Unmanned Vehicles at RAF
Waddington on 15 January, Osborn
described the future of unmanned
assets within the UKs armed forces.
Military success needs understanding
and precision UAS and RPAS deliver both.
From my perspective, it is difficult to imagine
future capabilities without unmanned assets.
Our Reaper crews are as connected to the
battlefield as other aircraft, and possibly more
informed. They have an unrivalled depth of
knowledge and they understand the theatre in
the most difficult and challenging of roles. We
should not shy away from their legitimate use.
Highlighting over 160,000 hours of ISTAR
operations in Afghanistan to date, Osborn
described how Reaper platforms had fired
a total of 450 precision-guided munitions in
support of coalition operations countrywide.
nn FUTURE FOCUS
Looking beyond the drawdown of combat
troops from Afghanistan by the end of
2014, he added: We have every intention
to continue to utilise Reaper beyond
Afghanistan. Plans clearly will change
depending on the operational situation.
My job is to make sure the Reaper capability
is as flexible as it can be. That is a step of taking
Reaper into core and plan to bring Reaper more
into an expeditionary rather than a deployed
mode. And as we step forward in the next
few years, we will see a shift of Reaper into the
Scavenger programme. This should be capable
of doing far more on a worldwide basis and
youll see a continuance of programme activity
to firm up use of Reaper.
Referring to criticism of autonomous UAVs
in the media, Osborn said: I dont frankly see
AVM Phil Osborn, capability director, Joint Forces Command,
UK MoD, explains to Andrew White how UK air operations will
benefit from an increasing use of unmanned systems.
My job is to make sure
the Reaper capability is
as flexible as it can be.
UV_FebMar14_p44_Back_Page.indd 44 29/01/2014 13:21:48
UV_FebMar14_IBC.indd 3 29/01/2014 12:49:46 UV_FebMar14_IBC.indd 3 29/01/2014 13:23:00
1,100,000 operational
UAS flight hours at your service
Ground Control Station
www.iai.co.il
info.malat@iai.co.il
With an unmatched track record of
over 1,100,000 operational ight hours
for 49 customers on ve continents,
IAI-MALAT is a global leader in
comprehensive UAS-based
solutions offering the widest
range of combat-proven
systems.
Whatever your needs, IAI brings
you total battlefield UAS solutions
UV_FebMar14_OBC.indd 4 29/01/2014 13:22:28

Unmanned Vehicles - February/March 2014

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Unmanned Vehicles - February/March 2014

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Empire building

China stamps authority on unmanned technology

. Your positioning superhero.

. Your positioning superhero.

ReconRobotics business is split 50:50

Predator Bs operated by US CBP routinely

You might also like