In 2009 the ADF urgently acquired a persistent overland ISR
capability to support ground operations in Afghanistan, bolstering the
surveillance provided by a small detachment of AP-3C Orions which, until
recently were, based in the Middle East Theatre of Operations.
The Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) Heron Medium Altitude Long
Endurance unmanned surveillance system was, and is, leased from Canadian
company McDonald, Dettwiler & Associates (MDA) under the rapid acquisition
Project Nankeen after a shortfall in available ISR capability became evident.
With the exception of the Multi-Mission Unmanned Aircraft System
capability, to be acquired in the future under Air 7000 Phase 1B, the Defence
Capability Plan has up until now only identified a need for tactical level ISR,
currently filled by hand-held and small drones in direct support of troops on
the ground and operated by Army.
The more ‘strategic’ nature of the Heron capability provides
persistent ISR to intheatre commanders and is operated by the No.5 Flight RAAF,
a component of Air Combat Group.
The leasing arrangement with MDA has recently been extended
again and is currently due to terminate at the end of 2014. With nothing beyond
this in the current DCP, save for the recently accelerated MUAS acquisition,
what is the future for ADF UAV operations beyond Heron?
Roadmap
for the future
Defence says that its current roadmap for UAVs is classified,
but the primary focus in the short to medium term will be on what it defines as
‘informed decision making and the successful introduction of capabilities already
outlined in the DCP.’
The roadmap itself has four main priorities:
• To ensure the successful introduction of systems and capabilities already in train;
• Ensure the successful exploitation of capabilities which are introduced as a result;
• To explore opportunities where UAS systems and emerging technologies have demonstrated advantages;
• and to explore what Defence terms as novel opportunities in
systems and technologies and Fundamental Inputs to Capability (FIC).
It says that any consideration of future overland ISR
capabilities beyond Heron will be taken in the context of the forthcoming Force
Structure Review and Defence White Paper.
However most of this effort is directed towards the Tactical
Unmanned Aerial Systems, primarily those associated with upcoming decisions in
the domains of hand launched systems (under JP129 Phase 4) and the MUAS (Air
7000/1B).
“Beyond those, Defence continues to conduct trials and studies
aimed at better understanding the benefits associated with a range of UAS concepts,
for example embarked UAS in the maritime environment. These may inform future
requirements but there are no current DCP projects,” a Defence spokesperson
said. “There is currently no endorsed requirement for a strategic capability
between Army TUAV and Air 7000 requirement sets.”
Heron
capability
In 2009 the ADF Joint Operations Command requested an organic
ISR capability in Afghanistan beyond that being provided by the Boeing/Insitu
Pacific Limited Scan Eagle then in-theatre and, following the study of similar
operations by the Canadian Armed Forces, Project Nankeen was promulgated to
acquire the Heron capability.
The decision to operate the system under Air Force control was
taken because the nature of the relatively large remotely piloted platform
meant the trained aircrew were required to operate it safely. The Heron weighs
about a tonne and is in the same airspace as manned platforms.
At the time Defence also noted that Air Force, as the air power
specialist, was appropriately equipped to control long endurance ISR platforms,
which have the capability to span several areas of operations during a single
mission.
While the service provided by the Heron capability has been well
received by Defence, the opportunity to develop the overland ISR capability
which will inform the Air 7000 decision in coming years is not to be
underestimated.
Defence says that Heron operations in Afghanistan have provided ‘invaluable’
experience and it should be noted that the overland ISR capability required of
the Air 7000 MUAS is a key difference between it and the parallel US Navy Broad
Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) program, which is acquiring the Northrop
Grumman MQ-4C Triton, based on the Global Hawk.
Given the overland role of the MUAS and the lack of a ‘Son of
Heron’ project in the current DCP at least, it would appear that once
operations in Afghanistan are drawn down, the current capability will be
allowed to lapse until the Air 7000/1B system becomes operational at some point
early in the next decade.
Air
7000 Phase 1B
Phase 1B is the unmanned component of the larger Air 7000
project, which will replace the AP-3C in the Maritime Intelligence, Surveillance,
Reconnaissance and Response (MISRR) roles and also support the overland Intelligence,
Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Electronic Support (ES) roles.
Broadly similar to the US Navy BAMS, it will also include a
manned solution in the form of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon, which is to be
acquired under Phase 2B.
The MUAS component had previously been pushed to the right by
then-Defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, so as to ‘de-risk’ transition from the
AP-3C to P-8A, but has quietly been brought forward again in the current DCP.
See From the Source interview on PXX with Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff
Brown for more on this timing issue.
Initial Operating Capability is now set to occur in the
2019-2022 timeframe, only slightly behind the planned introduction of the P-8A
capability. Seven MUAS platforms and eight P-8As are to be acquired.
Defence says that the acceleration of Phase 1B is to, ‘ensure
the current capabilities of the AP-3C are best sustained until it needs to be
replaced.’
The Triton has been widely held as the preferred solution for
Phase 1B, but Defence says it is currently studying a range of options and will
announce a decision between 2015 and 2018. First Pass Approval is now scheduled
to occur either in the next financial year, or the one after.
If the Heron is ultimately withdrawn as planned in late 2014, a
gap of at least five years will result and much of the corporate knowledge
gained will have been lost.
However Defence says that the requirements of Air 7000/1B – and
in particular the overland ISR portion of the mission set has been continuously
evolved as the project has progressed.
“The development of the US Navy solution for all Maritime
Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance and Response tasks, as well as
refinements of Australia’s needs, have prioritised the manned aircraft replacement
for Australia,” a Defence Capability Group spokesperson said. “Phase 1B remains
responsive to the development of the manned aircraft solution.”
Further
opportunities
At the present time, the opportunities for UAS suppliers would
appear to be firmly in the tactical environment, with JP129 Phase 4 to oversee
the introduction of a new hand-launched TUAS. This will replace the Elbit
Skylark, which was withdrawn from operational service some time ago.
This phase will acquire an existing Tier One system to provide
situational awareness to troops in the field and will be capable of operations
in an urban environment. First Pass Approval is planned for between 2014 and
2016, with IOC between 2017 and 2020.
Perhaps the next major opportunity will be for a small tactical
UAV for operations in the maritime environment and even deployed to sea aboard
Navy surface units.
Trials of the ScanEagle has already been undertaken with Navy
ships off northern Australia and the system has also been successfully trialled
by several coalition partners, including the Singapore and US Navies.
The trials were initially conducted aboard HMAS Melville in June
2011, with a follow-on series from HMAS Leeuwin
later in the year. At the time, Defence
said that it would continue with the development of embarked UAS procedures in
anticipation of a future operational requirement foreshadowed by the 2009 DCP.
With the introduction of the two large amphibious warfare LHDs
in the next few years, the need for organic littoral ISR coverage will gain
greater importance. For the time being however, Defence says it is watching UAS
development in this area closely and the information will be used to inform
future requirements.