UAVs

Australia has signed undisclosed-value contracts with Boeing Australia for the long-delayed Joint Project 129 tactical unmanned air vehicle project. The deal will see the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) I-View 250 enter Australian Army service in late 2009 - two years later than originally expected.

No details have been released on the number of systems. The UAVs will be equipped with an L-3 Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL) with integration to be carried out by Boeing Australia, which is the prime contractor for the acquisition. Inclusion of the TCDL is expected to push the contract value up to at least $100 million, although no firm financial data has yet been released.

Boeing Australia has spent more than a year negotiating the deal, with extensive delays in final agreement caused by a stand-off over acceptance of liability provisions in the draft contract. Boeing Australia will be responsible for programme management, systems engineering and technical management, integrated logistics support and in-service support. IAI will deliver the I-View 250 systems.

Selected ahead of AAI's Shadow 200 and Elbit Systems' Hermes 180/450, the I-View 250 has a maximum take-off weight of 250kg (550lb) and a mission endurance of 6-8h. The air vehicle can carry a variety of payloads, including electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors and electronic support measures and communications intelligence suites. Automatic launch is conducted from a runway, paved road or rail launcher, with landings performed using a controlled parafoil flight recovery system.