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22 Feb 24. US Army Seeks More Effective UAV in the Arctic. After the US Army announced it would not buy any more RQ-7 Shadows, an11th Airborne Division official told Janes that the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) could not be used in cold temperatures.
The Shadow is not approved to operate at temperatures below -20ºF, Lieutenant Colonel James Jones, assistant G3, the assistant officer in charge of operations for the 11th Airborne Division, said in an interview. The UAV was deployed during the the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center (JPMRC) 24-02 training rotation because of unseasonably warm temperatures, but the army needs a new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) asset for its brigade commanders, he said.
“Everything up here needs to be rated at least a -40[ºF] for it to really be useful,”
Lt Col Jones said. The 11th Airborne Division attempted to get approval for the Shadow to fly under the lower limits of its approved temperatures.
If the UAV breaks while operating outside the approved ranges, the brigade commander assumes the risk, he explained. The approval was not given, but the UAVs were able to be deployed because temperatures reached as high as 39ºF and hovered in the single and low double digits.
“If the exercise had moved two weeks to the left, then it would have been the -40ºF, maybe -45ºF, and it would have been too cold to fly that asset,”
Lt Col Jones said. The ISR capability is critical to the brigade commander’s ability to connect sensor information to fires, he noted. (Source: UAS VISION/Janes)
22 Feb 24. Singapore Airshow 2024: United Aircraft reveals UR6000 AAV concept. United Aircraft, a China-based manufacturer of logistics and surveillance rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), revealed a concept of its UR6000 tiltrotor autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) during the Singapore Airshow 2024 held from 20 to 25 February.
Speaking to Janes, an official from United Aircraft said the UR6000 AAV is a fully autonomous platform being designed for cargo and passenger transport applications. The AAV is being developed independently and has progressed from its detailed design to early prototyping phase, the official added. According to the company, the UR6000 has a maximum take-off weight of 6,100 kg, a commercial payload carrying capability of 2,000 kg, a cruise speed of 550 km/h, a service ceiling of 7,620 m, and can cover a maximum flight distance of 1,500 km. (Source: Janes)
22 Feb 24. Portuguese Navy establishes multidomain drone unit. As part of its ambitious effort to widen the use of unmanned systems, the Portuguese Navy has established a squadron-sized unit for the operation of military-grade unmanned systems. The new unit, called ‘X31′, was officially stood up on 9 February. It is subordinated to naval command and will be responsible for operating current and future unmanned surface, subsurface, and air systems, as well as co-ordinating doctrine development and training activities, an industry source told Janes. The creation of X31 follows an ambitious strategy by the navy to acquire unmanned systems for different missions and applications, develop unmanned systems in-house, and simultaneously support the local defence technological and industrial base. (Source: Janes)
19 Feb 24. Rugged UAVs & Advanced EFI Drone Propulsion Solutions for Military Applications. Defense Advancement showcases Innoflight’s rugged unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and advanced electronic fuel injection (EFI) drone propulsion solutions for military and defense applications. Innoflight Technology is a leading developer of rugged UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) platforms and advanced EFI (electronic fuel injection) drone propulsion solutions.
We’ve just launched the company’s Defense Advancement supplier profile, which has been written and built by our team in collaboration with Innoflight.
The profile showcases the company’s range of UAV propulsion systems and UAS platforms which are designed to be U.S. National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant.
Innoflight’s iHE7 is a hybrid-electric generator system with a twin-cylinder 2-stroke EFI engine. It equips military UAV platforms with the extended ranges and flight times required for advanced missions such as ISR, logistics and communications relay. Learn more >: https://innoflighttechnology.com/uav-engine-da-efi-215cc/
The DA EFI 215 is a highly proven engine, used for both commercial UAVs and military defense aircraft. The DA215 is manufactured using the latest in CNC manufacturing technology, paired with the INF EFI the DA215 UAV has incredible fuel consumption, increased performance and reliability as well as full engine data telemetry to the flight control system. The INF DA215 UAV can be integrated with either a 24v Alternator or a 48v alternator to provide flight system power to the unmanned aircraft avionics.
The company’s modular octocopter ScanLift Orbit provides the endurance and range required for extended surveillance missions, with a payload capacity of up to 7kg (15.4lbs). The ScanLift Orbit is Remote ID-equipped and BVLOS-ready, and can be equipped with a range of options including ADS-B, RTK GNSS, and a parachute system
The world’s first single-rotor-UAV to use a direct drive electric tail system, the Galaxy is a highly stable platform that can withstand challenging wind conditions and is ideal for both surveillance and cargo delivery applications with a payload capacity of 8 kg (17.6 lbs). The system is BVLOS-ready and can be assembled and disassembled within minutes, requiring only a single tool. Learn more >: https://innoflighttechnology.com/ihe7/
ScanLift Mini is a portable and foldable quadcopter ideal for situations where rapid deployment is of the utmost importance. With an endurance of up to 30 minutes and a top speed of 12 m/s, the rugged drone platform can be equipped with a range of surveillance and data capture payloads including RGB and thermal imaging cameras, gimbals, and LiDAR scanners. Learn more >: https://innoflighttechnology.com/the-scanlift-mini-custom-payload-sensors/
To find out more about Innoflight’s UAV platforms and EFI drone propulsion solutions, please visit the company’s profile page: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/company/innoflight-technology/ (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
21 Feb 24. New autonomous systems developed by Australian Defence Force. Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has hinted at unknown defensive autonomous systems currently in development with the Australian Defence Force.
The Minister for Defence mentioned that offensive and defensive autonomous systems are being created following rapid increase in similar technology around the world, after being drawn on the subject during an ABC television interview on 21 February.
The exchange followed the recent announcement on 20 February of the federal government’s response to the independent review into the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet. Under the recommendations, the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet is expected to more than double in size to 26 major surface combatants.
“We’re doing a whole lot of other work that I’m not going to talk about publicly in relation to autonomous systems that we might bring to bear and in defending ourselves against those (drone) autonomous systems,” he said.
“Today’s (20 February) announcement is about making sure that we have the most lethal surface fleet that we can have and the most defendable surface fleet that we can have, and that includes defending that surface fleet from threats, asymmetric threats such as drones.”
Newly announced acquisitions from the surface fleet review include three Hobart Class air warfare destroyers with upgraded air defence and strike capabilities, six Hunter Class frigates with undersea warfare and strike capabilities, 11 general purpose frigates, six new large optionally crewed surface vessels, and 25 minor war vessels consisting of six Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels, eight Evolved Cape Class patrol boats, and 11 ECCPBs for the Australian Border Force.
The Navy will retain the six remaining Anzac Class frigates with the two oldest ships to be decommissioned as per their planned service life.
“Drone warfare can happen in a range of different circumstances. Having our most significant frigate, in terms of the Hunter Class frigate, being as stealthy as possible, as quiet as possible, cutting-edge technology in respect of that will be really important in terms of meeting a range of threats, large autonomous threats,” Minister Marles said on 21 February.
“We have announced that part of the makeup of the 26 surface combatants will be large optionally crewed surface vessels. They will give us enormous increases in vertical launch capacity.
“We will seek to crew them, albeit that they are a technology that can operate without a crew. But importantly, they will bolster, augment, complement the vertical launch capacity that we have with both our Air Warfare Destroyers and our Hunter Class frigates. All of that is capacity that we’re putting in place to meet the threats of the future, including autonomous vehicles.
“The lesson that we take from (the drone warfare in Ukraine) is that … you need cutting-edge technology. And that means that the ships that you put to sea have to have the best array of sensors, have to have the greatest visibility, have to have the lowest noise profile, so that they are harder to detect, and have to have the best defences available on them.
“Now, that is what we are talking about in terms of putting in place the modern surface. The Hunter Class frigates will be the best anti-submarine warfare technology. What we will do with the general purpose frigate is make sure that that is at the cutting edge as well. But the most important thing we can do is get to those general purpose frigates as quickly as possible, which is why we have announced a rapid transition from the existing Anzac Class frigates to the general purpose frigates.”
(Source: Defence Connect)
22 Feb 24. New UK strategy to deliver drones to armed forces. UK Defence Drone Strategy launched to deliver unified approach to uncrewed systems across all three military services, supported by £4.5bn of investment. A new strategy backed by at least £4.5bn of investment over the next decade will accelerate access to uncrewed systems for the UK Armed Forces, rapidly equipping them with innovative technology across air, sea, and land. The UK Defence Drone Strategy, born from lessons learned in Ukraine, will harness innovative capabilities across UK defence. It will enable the rapid experimentation, testing and evaluation of uncrewed platforms, unifying the approach of the British Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, integrated by UK Strategic Command, while crucially working in lockstep with industry. Drones are a game-changing technology that are constantly evolving, and it is crucial that the UK continues to invest in and maintain our position on the cutting edge of drone development to stay one step ahead of our adversaries. The new approach will see uncrewed systems delivered at pace into the hands of the British Armed Forces, equipping personnel with critical intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, strike and logistical capabilities. This will leave behind long development timelines and lengthy requirement discussions. Once operational, the systems will be able to be developed and upgraded – or ‘spiralled’ – to keep pace with the rapid evolution of technology and changing threat picture.
Our initial priority remains the successful delivery of the Ukraine-UK uncrewed systems initiative, building on the UK’s donation of over 4,000 drones for Ukraine. The UK Defence Drone Strategy will help Armed Forces personnel meet the relentless cycle of battlefield adaptation, as has been repeatedly underpinned as Ukraine continues to successfully resist the Russian invasion.
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: “The conflict in Ukraine has been an incubator for new ways of war and we need to learn and implement those hard-fought lessons. Rapidly being able to develop and upgrade uncrewed systems will be key to gaining battlefield advantage and we must seize this opportunity to grow and sustain such skills and capabilities in the UK. The strategy brings together a clear, unified focus – backed by bns in funding – while providing the flexibility to meet different requirements in the air, over land and at sea.”
Ultimately, this is about learning the lessons from the Ukrainian frontline to procure drones at scale for the UK’s Armed Forces.
Of the £2.5bn pounds to be spent on supporting Ukraine this coming financial year, more than £200m will go towards supplying Ukraine with uncrewed systems. As the Defence Secretary announced last week, the UK will include work to scale up the Drone Capability Coalition’s provision of ‘first-person view’ (FPV) drones to Ukraine. This will help to scale the UK’s domestic drone industry across manufacturing and software development whilst giving Ukraine cutting-edge, battle-tested capabilities to defend their citizens and target the invading Russian forces.
Working with international partners and leading uncrewed systems designers, the UK’s ambition to be a world-leader in uncrewed systems will enable exports in a rapidly growing global market and create onshore investment opportunities, supporting UK jobs and backing the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.
Commander of UK Strategic Command, General Jim Hockenhull said:
This strategy, backed by significant investment, offers the opportunity to transform our approach to the acquisition, integration, and exploitation of uncrewed systems.
The partnership with industry will be vital to ensure we harness innovation and generate world-leading capability.
Integrating advanced uncrewed systems into our suite of capabilities will protect the force, deter our adversaries and, when necessary, help us to fight and win.
Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the UK MOD, has played a key role in helping develop the new UK Defence Drone Strategy and will be pivotal in ensuring its successful ongoing delivery.
Chief Executive, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), Andy Start said: “DE&S has supported the rapid procurement of large numbers of uncrewed aerial systems for Ukraine, and it is clearer than ever that unhindered access to battle-winning uncrewed systems is absolutely crucial in modern day combat. We are delighted to be working with frontline commands and industry partners to identify, test and deliver platforms that will give the UK Armed Forces the competitive edge they require to protect the nation and support our allies.”
A comprehensive partnership with industry is at the core of the Drone Strategy, and building on the UK’s extensive industrial, robotics and digital heritage. Through regular, clear industry engagements, we will incentivise industry to support the rapid manufacture and adaptation at a scale and capability able to deliver operational advantage for our Armed Forces.
As part of the Strategy, we will work across government to make the UK more competitive in the global export market for uncrewed systems and their development.
Today’s Strategy builds on the UK’s rich history of developing and operating uncrewed systems, including the use of Reaper MQ-9s by the Royal Air Force, and small to medium uncrewed aerial systems by the Army and particularly the Royal Navy who have developed a growing array of surface and sub-surface capabilities, including autonomous minehunters. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
22 Feb 24. Pentagon requests $300m for secret drone programme. The U.S. Department of Defense submitted a classified request to Congress last week, to redirect $300m of approved funding from other budgets to its Replicator programme.
The programme aims to enable the military to field thousands of autonomous drones across multiple domains. Replicator was announced last August by Deputy Defence Secretary Kathleen Hicks, as one of the measures the Pentagon is taking to counter China’s drone capabilities.
Replicator aims to scale up the military’s drone capabilities dramatically, in particular the numbers of drones available to operations, in a programme focused on matching the relatively high volume of unmanned systems that the People’s Liberation Army is able to draw on. In the process, Replicator must find ways to mass produce drones quickly and cost-effectively.
In response to congressional concerns voiced last year about how Replicator would be funded, Deputy Defense Secretary has already intimated that the programme would be run out of existing approved funding during 2024. However, even the reprogramming of funding must be approved by the four US Congress defence committees.
Funding is not the only concern that has been voiced about Replicator. The DoD initial announced last year prompted a report from the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) entitled: “Can it Work? Outside Perspectives on DoD’s Replicator Program.”
The primary finding of the AUVSI report is that the U.S. may currently lack the domestic industrial base to meet the goals of Replicator. It cited pace, scaling production levels as two of the key challenges.
The U.S. military, of course, operates some of the most sophisticated and effective drones in the world, across air, land and sea. However, the focus of Replicator is to mass produce smaller, cheaper drones. In Hicks’s words the vision is for “small, smart, cheap, and many”, and to fill a substantial gap in capability by August 2025.
The timing of the funding request, more than five months into that two-year timeframe, seems to cast doubt over whether the Pentagon is able to move quite that fast. (Source: Armada)
22 Feb 24. USN to form second USV squadron. The U.S. Navy plans to stand up its second unmanned surface drone squadron this May, two years after the U.S. Pacific Fleet (CNSP) formed the Unmanned Surface Vessel Division (USVDIV). The news was revealed by Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet at the West 2024 conference in San Diego last week. The past two years has seen the U.S. Navy significantly step-up efforts to adopt USVs and integrate their use into manned-unmanned teaming operations. USVDIV One overseas the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk, both 132 ft (40m) autonomous USVs that first entered service in 2016, under the the DARPA Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) programme. It also now operates the USV Nomad and USV Mariner, two 193 ft (59m) ‘medium unmanned service vessels’ that were launched in 2022 as part of the DOD’s Ghost Fleet Overlord program.
All the four vessels can be operated autonomously, or controlled by the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Operations Center in Port Hueneme, California, or from a nearby U.S. Navy ship. The USVs are not designed to accommodate people, although the Sea Hunter and Sea Hawk have a bridge for piloting the USVs when entering or leaving a port.
USVDIV One has undertaken extensive exercises over the past two years and a five-month deployment in the Pacific Ocean, where the four USVs sailed a combined distance of 46,651 nautical miles and visited ports in Japan and Australia. The USVs were used to test concepts for integrating manned and unmanned fleet operations. During the deployment the USVs operated almost entirely autonomously for weeks at a time
The new squadron is expected to include smaller USVs than USVDIV One. Like the first, USVDIV Two is expected to continue to build the foundational knowledge required to fully integrate USVs into U.S. Navy fleets. The role of smaller these USVs could take in Intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance, through to offensive capabilities. The Navy envisions a future where there are numerous USVs in any theatre of operations, with or without manned vessels.
The U.S. Navy is currently in the early stages of developing an Integrated Combat System, together with contractor Lockheed Martin, which will eventually connect the operations of manned and key unmanned vessels, allowing for more seamless combined operations. Until then there is a lot more practical experience that the Navy needs to gain on how manned and unmanned assets can work together. The standing up of USVDIV Two is another key step to accelerate that process. (Source: Armada)
20 Feb 24. Elbit Systems, a global leader in defense technology, unveiled its latest addition to its market leading Hermes family. This Next Generation Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) boasts outstanding endurance, versatility, and cost-effective performance across land, air and sea operations.
Key Benefits and Features:
- Autonomous Operation
- Unique Wide Flight Envelope
- High Payload Capacity
- Minimum Life Cycle Cost (LCC)
- Exceptional Safety, Survivability, and Immunity Standards
- Increased Range (BLOS), Flight Speed and Efficiency
- NATO STANAG 4671 compliant
Yoram Shmuely, General Manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace: “The launch of our Hermes 650™ Spark marks an important milestone for Elbit Systems. This cutting-edge UAS, built on decades of market leadership, underscores our commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology, and providing exceptional capabilities to our global partners. I am confident that this new addition to our diverse and innovative aerospace defense portfolio will further solidify our commitment to advancing defense technology, ensuring security, and meeting the dynamic needs of the modern battlefield.”
Introducing the Hermes 650™ Spark:
Elbit Systems is proud to introduce the Hermes™ 650 Spark, a tactical UAS designed to meet the evolving challenges of the aerospace and defense industries. As the latest addition to the highly acclaimed Hermes family, the Hermes™ 650 Spark expands the operational flight envelope with next-generation multi-mission capability, versatility, and survivability. The tactical UAS with Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) capabilities delivers exceptional payload capacity with increased range, flight speed, endurance, and operational efficiency.
This next-generation, autonomous, and digital UAS is designed to meet diverse operational needs across Air, Land, Sea, Homeland Security (HLS), and civilian applications. With its high payload capacity facilitated by exceptional large payload bays, the Hermes 650™ Spark allows for multi-payload configurations without compromising flight endurance. The comprehensive design considerations focus on minimizing the Life Cycle Cost (LCC), ensuring cost-effective mission performance. The UAS upholds the highest standards of safety, survivability, and immunity, complemented by modern, autonomous, and predictive maintenance practices, ultimately contributing to a low Life Cycle Cost.
The Hermes™ 650 Spark tactical UAS stands out for its exceptional operational capabilities. Engineered for versatility and reliability, it excels in medium altitude long endurance aerial missions, thanks to features like automatic takeoff and landing (ATOL) and auto-taxi capability from short runways. With a remarkable useful load of 260kg, the UAS boasts eight modular storage stations, accommodating large payload bays in the fuselage and six hard points on the wings. This allows it to carry payloads up to 120kg on full fuel capacity without compromising flight endurance.
The system’s multi-payload capability integrates high-quality electro-optics (EO), radar, SIGINT, and other advanced functionalities simultaneously. It has the ability to execute long missions within SATCOM range and has an extended endurance lasting up to 24 hours.
19 Feb 24. Saudi Arabia’s Wakeb Unveils New Khataf UAS with AI Capabilities. Founded in 2017, Wakeb is a Saudi company specialised in artificial intelligence, machine learning, cognitive computing, intelligent applications, and software. It is also active in the UAS domain, and at the World Defense Show it unveiled the Khataf long range VTOL, which of course has embedded AI-based algorithms. In its booth at the Riyadh exhibition Wakeb was exhibiting most of its UAS portfolio, among which the 13 kg maximum take-off weight (MTOW) Tairat Shalwa long range reconnaissance VTOL airframe capable to carry a 5 kg payload with an endurance of 10 hours, as well as its evolution, the Tairat Shalwa 2, with a different aerodynamics and a lesser endurance, the short range Nashmiah quadcopter being also on stage.
However, the new member of the family unveiled at WDS was the Khataf long range VTOL system which features a peculiar aerodynamic architecture.
The 13 kg MTOW aircraft has an aerodynamic fuselage with two rear struts, carrying each one half the tailplane, angled to obtain a V-shape. It has a straight mid wing with a 3.3 metres span, which can be disassembled for transport. Ahead of the wing we find a canard, with a span of around 0.7 metres, which carries at each wingtip a two-blade rotor providing the VTOL capability.
These being the only systems providing vertical lift thrust, it is to assume they should be located at the centre of gravity. To move forward and fly aerodynamically, the Khataf is fitted with a shrouded turbine-like 12-blade propeller moved by an electric motor and installed halfway between the two rear struts. In horizontal flight the three aerodynamic surfaces should ensure the right balance as the wing is backwards compared to the centre of gravity.
No information was provided on power generation. According to data available the powerplant solution adopted on the Khataf makes it the fastest UAS within the Wakeb portfolio, as it can reach 250 km/h, compared to the 150 km/h of the aforementioned fixed wing VTOL UAS.
The new UAS can fly at a 4,000 ft altitude and has an up to 10-hour endurance, 8-9 hours being the usual endurance, flight distance being 800 km. Maximum payload is 5 kg; this can be a day night electro-optic gimbal, RGB camera and LiDAR, these probably providing sensor fused images based on deep learning, international mobile subscriber identity-catcher and E/O gimbal, or other types of payloads, the system having an open electronic architecture.
Sensors are acquired from third parties, a Wakeb representative told EDR On-Line, underlining however that the software was developed by the company, a specialty of the house, both for the air vehicle control as well as for exploiting the data provided by sensors.
At the Wakeb booth it was possible to witness one of the IA-based products, the MESBAR, capable among other modes to provide automatic target recognition of land, naval and aerial targets. It can provide target distance and speed, can track multiple objects at the same time, and ensures full sensor fusion, all this also in low visibility and challenging atmospheric conditions.
According to our source, Wakeb is focusing on autonomy and is dealing with swarm capabilities, which might be added to the Khataf as well as to other company UAS. (Source: UAS VISION/European Defence Review)
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