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Aviation History
2004
2004-05 - 0019.PDF
DEFENCE DEVELOPMENT PETER LA FRANCHI / ADELAIDE BAE plans swarming UCAV demo UK company's Australian unit and DSTO study joint programme to test advanced UAV reconnaissance technologies BAE Systems Australia and the Aus tralian Defence Science and Tech nology Organisation (DSTO) are ex ploring a programme to demon strate swarming unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) technologies. The proposed Future UAV for Reconnaissance and Interdiction (FURI) programme is expected to begin development in early 2005, with initial technology demonstra tions in 2006. FURI is "essentially a UCAV- related programme, but it is aimed at some of the deep-strike first day of operations [missions]", says Dr Julia Sutcliffe from BAE Systems Australia's Integrated Autonomous Systems Group. The programme is an evolution of two new collaborative pro grammes between the company and the DSTO. BAE Systems Australia is cur rently negotiating a capability technology demonstration pro gramme for distributed data fusion, with a contract award from the AUSTRALIAN UCAV DSTO to be finalised within a few weeks. This will link the company's distributed data-fusion technology for autonomous operations using UAVs equipped with multiple sen sor types, ground surveillance radars and unattended ground sen sors within a common networked architecture. Field trials are planned from late this year. BAE Systems and its Australian subsidiary have been developing decentralised data-fusion tech niques as the basis for an autonomous navigation system for use by swarms of UAVs under the simultaneous localisation and mapping (SLAM) programme, pre viously referred to as Anser. The second collaboration is based on networking BAE Systems Australia/University of Sydney Brumby Mk3 and Mk4 UAVs equipped with distributed data fusion engines with DSTO-owned Saab Aerosonde Mk3 UAVs equipped with lightweight air borne electronic-warfare emitter location systems. These would gather EW data which would then be processed by the Brumby platforms to provide a common operational picture. The Brumby UAVs would carry mixed payloads comprising electro-optic and radar sensors and laser range- finders. The fused data would be networked to all UAV types in the formation, with ongoing data fusion to provide increasingly accu rate target localisation data. Speaking at the Australian Association of Old Crows confer ence in Adelaide on 17 February, Sutcliffe said the "Aerosonde will reach a stand-off distance. They will produce some targeting infor mation and that will then cue the Brumby system to go in and take further measurements." An initial demonstration of this capability is scheduled for the third quarter of this year. The FURI programme will ini tially integrate the DSTO's light weight EW payloads with the Brumby UAV, says Sutcliffe. "Early in 2006 we will be looking at the FURI-targeting demonstration, which will be an integrated EW and SLAM demonstration." Sutcliffe also reveals that a more capable version of the Brumby, des ignated the Mk5, is now being planned as a wholly BAE Systems Australia-run development pro gramme. To assist with the FURI demonstration, the enhanced design will have a 30kg (661b)-pay- load capacity. FIGHTERS Israel takes delivery of first F-16ls The Israeli air force's first two Lockheed Martin F-161 multirole fighters landed at Ramon air- base on 19 February, after completing a transit flight from the USA. A total of 102F-16lswillbe delivered to Israel over the next four years under contracts worth $4.5 billion. Local sources, meanwhile, suggest that Israel could acquire additional Boeing F-151 fighters capable of per forming missions such as intercepting cruise missiles and blinding intelligence satellites. Sales of the F-15 to the US Air Force, South Korea and possibly Singapore mean Boeing's manufacturing line will remain open longer than previ ously predicted. AIR-TO-AIR MISSILE Rafael looks at a sixth version of Python The Rafael Armament Develop ment Authority has evaluated the Israeli air force's requirement for a future class of smaller and lighter air-to-air missiles suitable for car riage by aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and has decided to invest in the development of a new sixth- generation weapon. Work on the notional Python 6 is at an early stage. "We are talking about a missile that will be opera tional in 10 years," says Dr Eitan Yudelevich, Rafael's vice-president marketing, who confirms that the missile is in development. The Israeli air force has already indicated its requirement for a weapon with a dual-mode seeker, to enable it to use both active radar and passive infrared guidance. The missile will require a high level of targeting accuracy, as its reduced size will also require a trade-off in warhead size. Yudelevich confirms that Rafael's future air-to-air weapons will be compatible with mobile surface-to- air missile systems, such as the Spyder point-defence concept, which uses a mix of vehicle- mounted Python 5 and Derby mis siles with an Elta Electronics search radar (Flight International, 13-19 January). "Dual use is becoming a trend, and we will have that in mind in any future air-to-air mis sile programme," he says. Unveiled last June, the in-service Python 5 is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker and has a claimed 360Q engagement capabil ity against airborne threats. IN BRIEF DEEPWATER DEAL EADS Casa's role in the US Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System was finalised on 18 February, when the com pany received an $87.4 million award from prime contractor Lockheed Martin to deliver an initial two CN-235-300 maritime patrol aircraft from 2006. There is an option on a further six aircraft. UH-60M BOOST Sikorsky Aircraft will deliver an additional four UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters to the US Army to support operational testing activities, under a $40 million contract modification. Joining four existing aircraft, they will enable the army to dedicate four U H-60Ms for electromagnetic interference testing, Joint Tactical Radio System integration, training and system evaluation. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 24 FEBRUARY - 1 MARCH 2004 17
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