The Government has approved the acquisition of a major new unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capability, Defence Minister Senator John Faulkner has announced.
Under Defence Capability Plan Joint Project 129 Phase 2, two complete AAI Shadow 200 UAV systems will be acquired.
This includes 18 Shadow 200 aircraft, ground control systems, vehicles and other support systems and training at a total cost of $175 million.
This also includes funding to enable the expedited delivery and operation of the new UAVs to the Middle East Area of Operations.
The acceleration of the Shadow 200 acquisition is part of the Government’s $1.1 billion Force Protection package announced in the 2010-11 Budget that is currently being implemented, Faulkner’s statement said.
Considering the drawn-out history of the program, any decision will be welcomed.
The Shadow 200 will be used for battlefield surveillance, reconnaissance and target acquisition, but will not be weaponised.
The Insitu/Boeing ScanEagle UAV will remain in service in the Middle East until the Shadow 200 is delivered.
“The selection of the Shadow 200 system will provide the Australian Army with the most capable and operationally proven tactically mobile TUAV system that exists in any defence force,” Senator Faulkner said.
On a related note In the hope of fighting the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), the number one threat to troops in combat, the US Marines have begun installing laser designators and laser range finders on the first of 13 Shadow unmanned aerial systems - each system consists of four aircraft and two ground control systems.
The payload will allow the UAS to take over a missile fired from an AV-8B Harrier, F/A-18 Hornet or AH-1 Cobra at standoff ranges and guide it toward IED targets.