AUS: Navy's Avalon eyes in the skies

Schiebel CAMCOPTER S-100

LCDR Helen Ward (author)

Not all aircraft at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon actually have pilots – just ask the team at the Navy Unmanned Aircraft Systems Unit.

The Unit is tasked with trialling and testing two different unmanned aircraft types – the ScanEagle (fixed wing) and the Schiebel Camcopter S-100 (rotary wing) for the Royal Australian Navy.

Lieutenant Commander Matt Hyam is the Engineering Manager in charge of the maintenance and engineering of both unmanned aircraft systems.

Most of the staff at the unit are aviation technicians, specialising in avionics or airframes.

“We only have a very small team here at Avalon this year because a lot of our technicians are currently undergoing world-class training with Schiebel in Vienna, Austria, for two months,” Lieutenant Commander Hyam said.

Think Tank: Unmanned naval aviation—bigger isn’t always better

Geoff Slocombe

The 14 February piece by James Mugg and Andrew Davies was like the curate’s egg: good in parts. Much of what they wrote about the significance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and systems (UAS), especially about Navy’s recently announced contract for 110kg CAMCOPTER S-100 rotary wing UAS and three year logistics support, is non-controversial. They could’ve also mentioned Navy’s current trials with the Boeing Insitu 22kg ScanEagle fixed wing UAV, equipped with Melbourne’s Sentient Vision Systems ViDAR sensor, but more on that later.

Their consideration of a large unmanned helicopter like Northrop Grumman’s 1,430kg, 7.3 metre long MQ-8B/C Fire Scout for Navy was the problem. Probably the only RAN vessels where Fire Scout would be an excellent UAV choice are the two Canberra Class LHDs plus HMAS Choules, a smaller amphibious vessel. Smaller UAVs make much more sense for the air warfare destroyers, future frigates and offshore patrol vessels.

Fire Scout is an outstandingly good UAV, with excellent endurance, serious sensor capabilities, and it can be equipped with offensive missiles. The US Navy’s large platforms, like their littoral combat ships, have deck space and hangar room to deploy Fire Scout very effectively.

So why is this contrary view on the suitability of large unmanned helicopters for the RAN’s ships, apart from those already mentioned, being put forward?

AUS: Exercise KAKADU proves potency of combined forces

Exercise KAKADU 2016 fleet sails in formation through the Northern Australian Exercise Area of the coast of Northern Territory (© Commonwealth of Australia 2016) >>

Exercise KAKADU has come to a close in the north of Australia with 19 ships and submarines showing Navy can rapidly deploy a large number of major fleet units and lead a multinational maritime force.

Navy has a constant presence in the seas around Australia and Exercise KAKADU provided an opportunity to enhance interoperability with partner nations, demonstrating a high-end warfighting capability in the region.

The Officer conducting Exercise KAKADU, Commodore Mal Wise, OAM, RAN, said the graduated training program was successfully achieved, with all nations receiving great benefit from the Exercise.

Think Tank: UCAS and the RAAF’s future

Malcolm Davis

The U.S. Navy's X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System demonstrator flies over Edwards during a routine test mission. The UCAS-D program conducted the airworthiness test phase for the X-47B at Edwards, which came to a successful conclusion May 15 after more than two years of testing. (Image: Wiki Commons) >>

A common refrain when discussing the future of airpower is that ‘the F-35 is the last manned fighter’ and the future belongs to unmanned systems. The expanding use of unmanned air systems (UAS) such as Reapers and Predators against international terrorist networks implies a future of remote, push-button warfare. That entails minimal risk (on one side) for maximum tactical precision effect. The panorama of future battle is captured in targeting footage presented on evening news, and has become the centrepiece of movies—for instance, the excellent Eye in the Sky.

The 2016 Defence White Paper highlights Australia’s acquisition of an armed reconnaissance UAS for Army in the early 2020s (para 4.55), and seven unarmed MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft Systems for Air Force (4.38). Army already makes extensive use of tactical surveillance UAS such as the RQ-7B Shadow 200, while RAN has completed experimentation with the ScanEagle UAVS, and may employ Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Firescout on the Future Frigates and the Canberra-class LHDs.