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13 Jun 24. Latvia Opens New Drone Testing Facility. On Thursday, June 6, Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds visited the Sēlija military training range, where a new training and testing ground for drones was opened.
“The opening of the drone test site is a step forward not only in the development of the Sēlija range, but also in strengthening the capabilities of drones – the drone test site becomes a place where representatives of our drone industry will be able to regularly test their equipment,”
said Sprūds.
“The drone test site is also a new facet in the development of the drone coalition. Allies and members of the drone coalition [for Ukraine] will regularly gather here for tests of unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare,”
said A. Spruds.
Along with the opening of the training and testing range, military exercises took place for the first time at the new Sēlija range, as part of the international military exercises “Baltic Zenith 2024”.
By testing drones, local industry will be developed, the technical capabilities and tactical application of drones will be benchmarked, and technologies improved, according to the Ministry of Defense.
It has already been reported that in order to develop and strengthen the drone capacity of the Latvian National Armed Forces at all levels, 20 m euros will be invested in the development of capabilities over the next few years.
At the moment the Ministry of Defense is also inviting companies to submit applications for a grant competition for the development of innovations in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles by June 21, with total funding of 600,000 euros available.
On May 14 of this year, three months passed since Latvia and the United Kingdom founded a drone coalition to support Ukraine. A total of 14 countries have announced their participation in the drone coalition to this point: Latvia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, Canada, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany and Sweden. So far, the members of the drone coalition have raised more than 500 m euros for the donation of drones to Ukraine.
At the same time, on behalf of the drone coalition, the United Kingdom and Latvia have announced a tender for the supply of first-person view (FPV) drones to Ukraine. Information on how to apply can be found on the UK Defense Portal. An entrepreneur from any member state of the Defense Contact Group of Ukraine can participate in the competition. (Source: UAS VISION/LSM)
13 Jun 24. Australia ready to receive MQ-4C Triton ISR remotely piloted aircraft. Australia is ready to receive the MQ-4C Triton after delivery and installation of its trailer-mounted ground support system.
The Royal Australian Air Force is gearing up for the delivery of the first MQ-4C Triton (AUS 1) after the installation of ground support systems for the maritime surveillance remotely piloted aircraft system.
Australia is acquiring four MQ-4C aircraft through a cooperative agreement with the US Navy and Northrop Grumman, which manufactures the system. Construction on the system began in 2020, and in August 2023 Northrop Grumman won an additional contract to retrofit two MQ-4C for Australia for $83.1m (A$124.6m).
The aircraft will complement the Australian Defence Force’s P-8A Poseidon fleet to proves a ‘family of systems’ for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, according to a release from the Australian Ministry of Defence on 13 June 2024.
“The MQ-4C Triton will deliver unprecedented persistence and awareness over the maritime domain in support of the Integrated Force,” said Air Vice-Marshal Blyth said. “Uncrewed aerial systems offer enormous potential to capitalise on the opportunities provided by modern payloads and increased endurance. This will significantly enhance our ability to persistently patrol Australia’s north and north-western approaches; in the south-west Pacific and south to Antarctica.”
The trailer-mounted forward operating base, which serves as a mission control station for the MQ-4C, arrived in Australia in January at RAAF base Tindal in the Northern Territory.
In February 2024, AUS 1 made the first leg of its journey, flown by Northrop Grumman from California to Maryland to receive final testing, fit-out and certification, before it makes its journey to Australia.
As a high-altitude, long endurance remotely piloted aircraft system, AUS 1 will provide long range, persistent surveillance, from its base at RAAF Final, an across Australia’s maritime approaches with RAAF’s 9 Squadron based in South Australia.
Training for the MQ-4C is included in the arrangement between the RAAF and USN, with Triton Aircrew undertaking extensive training at US Naval Air Station in Jacksonville, Florida.
“These personnel received the same training as their USN counterparts and gained valuable experience to ensure that Air Force is able to deploy the MQ-4C Triton effectively,” said Australia’s Head of Air Force Capability, Air Vice-Marshal Wendy Blyth. (Source: army-technology.com)
12 Jun 24. Greek Ucandrone UAVs inducted into Bulgarian service. The Bulgarian Armed Forces began using a new type of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with its land forces in May. The co-founder of manufacturer Ucandrone, Dimitris Stefanakis, confirmed the development to Janes at the HEMUS 2024 defence exhibition in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on 7 June.
Bulgaria’s land forces confirmed delivery of some of the UAVs on 13 May, releasing a video on 5 June confirming the system, which they call ‘Aquila’, had by then been in use for a few days and showing it unpacked with control panels in a field. Stefanakis also confirmed it is in use, adding to Janes that 36 have been ordered, with deliveries continuing.
Based near Athens, Ucandrone’s UAV of the same name is a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV that has four wing-mounted electric motors for VTOL and one larger electric motor at the rear for providing forward thrust during conventional flight. Stefanakis said the internal structure of the drone is made from carbon fibre, with design and manufacturing conducted in-house.
Stefanakis showcased various command-and-control solutions available, from what he said was a drone feed to a smartphone device for use at squad level, up to multimonitor displays for battalion-level planning. In clear conditions, the electro-optical suite integrated into the bottom of the drone’s fuselage can see up to 40 km, he said, adding that battery endurance ranges from 90 to 180 minutes, depending on external conditions. (Source: Janes)
12 Jun 24. Australian Army to Finally Introduce ‘Owl’ Electric-Powered Suicide Drone. The Australian Army will finally induct a new, electric-powered kamikaze drone that has been in development for more than two years. Called the “Owl,” the loitering munition can travel up to 200 kilometers (124 miles) and stay in the air for 30 minutes without recharging.
The One-Way Loitering (OWL) munition has been developed by Western Australia-based company Innovaero and Boeing subsidiary Insitu Pacific, and is currently being trialled by an unspecified army special operations unit.
Known simply as “the Owl”, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has been in development with the army since 2022 and is designed to integrate with other drones being acquired by the Australian Defence Force.
“It’s a good story of an Aussie company with a really impressive UAV. Special forces love it, and rightly so,”
said one defence figure familiar with the product’s evaluation.
Government tender documents reveal that developer Innovaero, partially owned by BAE Systems Australia, has been awarded more than $5.3 m in Defence contracts since May 2022 to design, develop, build and test the aircraft.
The growing importance of armed drone warfare has been highlighted during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with military experts criticising Australia’s lack of urgency in acquiring the deadly technology.
A Defence spokesperson declined to comment specifically on the Innovaero Owl, but confirmed to the ABC that a “future loitering munition capability is due to be introduced this calendar year”.
“In line with the National Defence Strategy and the Integrated Investment Program priorities, Defence is continuing trials from maritime, land and air platforms with Australian and overseas suppliers to ensure the Australian Defence Force can deploy the latest technology and maximise its advantages,” the spokesperson said.
“The introduction into service of loitering munitions into most Australian Army combat units into the future will be driven by the results of these trials.”
Defence industry insiders say while they are pleased the Innovaero Owl is proceeding, they warn there have been lengthy delays imposed on other so-called urgent innovation programs because of a lack of funding to progress contracts.
“The services have so little funding that they can’t cover these small programs and meet their longer-term needs for ships and aircraft,” one senior figure told the ABC, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
“There seems to have been a decision made that the priority is the big, expensive and long term — these small, cheap and immediate capabilities are not being funded,” the industry source added.
(Source: UAS VISION/abc news)
13 Jun 24. Techies most likely to give wide scale adoption of commercial and military drones the green light, reveals recent survey.
- Nearly three quarters (74%) of respondents working in technology in favour of wider commercial and military drone adoption
- More than half (55%) expressed comfort in wider commercial drone adoption
- Over 60s and under 30s less likely to welcome healthcare and military drone applications
- Security and data breaches are cited as the biggest concerns (65%)
A survey of more than 500 US adults conducted by satellite and cellular connectivity specialists, Ground Control, has revealed stark differences in the level of support for the use of drones across industry ranging from healthcare to agriculture, environmental monitoring, as well as the military.
While those working in technology, or earning more than $100,000 P/A were open to this evolution, others still have reservations.
Carried out in March ‘24, the survey asked participants across a range of industries and demographics four questions on how ‘comfortable’ they felt about drones being used within various industry applications, what their concerns or barriers were, what the benefits were, and finally, on a scale of 1 – 100, to what extent they were in favour of wider adoption of drones generally.
Selected industry types included parcel deliveries, prescription deliveries, remote safety inspections, environmental monitoring, emergency services, and both ‘passive’ and ‘active’ military use.
Those working in the technology sector were considerably more in favour of wider drone application than the average – 74% vs 58%. Breaking this down further, of those working in this sector, 69% were very comfortable with drones being used in commercial settings, and 63% in military settings. This was in stark contrast with healthcare workers, for example, where the split was 46% and 43%.
Alastair MacLeod, CEO for Ground Control, suggests this could have a lot to do with how we perceive the technology. He said: “It is quite understandable why there are differences across the sectors we polled, and those not working in the technology sector could be forgiven for being cautious, especially individuals in healthcare who may still need convincing on the safe delivery of medicines. The techies amongst us are probably more eager to use the advancements that are readily available, we are early adopters by nature.
“While military applications still dominate, the civil and commercial drone market is growing rapidly. The key for companies planning to deploy drones is to communicate the benefits effectively and at the same time, address any perceived concerns. This is particularly true for delivery-related use cases, which may impact the daily lives of our respondents.”
The drone market is set to soar, with analysis from Market.us in December 2023 implying that the drone market will exceed $101.1 Bn by 2032. That’s a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.7%. While Asia Pacific has the largest revenue share (39.6%), North America has the fastest CAGR throughout the growth period, with Europe close behind.
Against this background, Ground Control says it conducted the poll to gain greater knowledge of the barriers and concerns of those directly impacted, in addition to understanding which markets presented as showing the greatest potential.
Examining the data
Further insight from the survey revealed that in general, more were in favour of commercial drone applications than not, and interestingly, there was slightly higher support for military use over commercial use. Security and privacy, were also highlighted as concerns from the wider public:
- 55% of respondents expressed support (“comfortable” or “very comfortable”) for commercial drone applications vs 22% not in favour (“uneasy” or “very uneasy”)
- There was fractionally more support for military drone applications than commercial ones (57% vs 55%)
- 65% of respondents have concerns about the security of data transmitted via drones, and their perceived vulnerability to hacking / interception
- 54% of respondents have concerns about privacy: limitations over what information a drone can capture, store and process
- Fewer than a third of respondents felt that drones used for commercial applications were safer or better for the environment than the processes they might replace
- People working in technology or with household incomes more than $100,000 p/a were more in favour of wider drone adoption than average (74% and 68% vs. 58%)
A spotlight on demographics
From a demographic perspective, greater support was shown from those earning more than $100,000 p/a compared with those earning under $10,000, while the under 30 age bracket showed less support for military drones and the over 60s were less likely to want to see parcel and prescription deliveries via drones:
- Where household incomes exceeded $100,000 p/a, there was more support for drone applications both commercial (67%) and military (71%)
- Where household incomes were lower than $10,000 p/a, there was less support for commercial drone applications (40% vs 55% average) and military (44% vs. 57%)
- People who worked in technology were more likely to state that they were comfortable with all types of drone applications than average (67% vs. 55%)
- People who worked in healthcare were less likely to express support for parcel deliveries and prescription medicine deliveries than average (22% vs. 40%)
- Under 30s were less likely to support active military applications for drones than average (35% vs. 54%)
- Over 60s were less likely to welcome parcel or medicine deliveries via drone (45% “uneasy” or “very uneasy”; 27% “comfortable” or “very comfortable” vs 36% and 40% respectively).
MacLeod added: “Regulation will continue to be a significant brake on ubiquitous adoption of commercial drone applications, but we anticipate this changing as the market adjusts. There are existing solutions already addressing communication and collision avoidance challenges. From an operator’s standpoint, the projected and empirically proven benefits far exceed any drawbacks.”
A Ground Control report, which examines the results in full, including methodology, a more thorough examination into the splits and demographics and wider statistics around the global drone market for use in commercial and military applications, can be viewed for free here “Consumer Attitudes Towards Commercial and Military Drone Applications in 2024
11 Jun 24. US Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scouts Retire Just Two Years After Entering Operational Service.
US Navy (USN) budget documents reveal that the service plans to retire the newest variant of an unmanned helicopter it spent more than a decade and nearly $1.5 bn developing.
The Northrop Grumman MQ-8C Fire Scout was to perform a range of surface warfare, airborne mine countermeasures, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions from the decks of Littoral Combat Ships (LCS).
But the USN now wants to mothball the helicopters, according to the service’s fiscal year 2025 budget request, which earmarks no funding for the 36 MQ-8Cs the service has acquired. “Operational employment of the MQ-8C will end in Q4 FY2024 and sundown will be completed by Q4 FY2026,” according to the documents. The US government’s fiscal year 2024 ends in September.
The decision comes just more than two years after the long-delayed MQ-8C’s first operational deployment on the USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) in mid-December 2021. Since then, despite high hopes for the programme, MQ-8Cs have rotated on detachments aboard only four LCS, and only two of the type are currently on detachment, with Independence-class LCS.
“You’re looking at 12 detachments out on these ships,”
in total, says Commander Ian Adams, MQ-8C resource officer for the navy’s Air Warfare Division.
That is a limited return for the programme, which began in 2012, at which time leaders expected the aircraft to be operationally available in late 2014.
Derived from Bell’s manned model 407, the unmanned MQ-8C did not achieve initial operational capability (IOC) until summer 2019. Originally intended to provide naval ships with defensive firepower using BAE Systems’ Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (modified 70mm Hydra rockets fitted with guidance systems), the USN shifted the MQ-8C’s mission to be airborne surveillance and targeting in 2018, delaying IOC.
The service had originally planned to buy 177 MQ-8Cs for $3.47 bn, but in the end acquired only 38, of which two have already been struck from service.
That leaves the USN with 36 MQ-8Cs, though only 17 of those are operational, according to budget documents. Of the remaining 19, two are assigned to the USN’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Four at Webster Field in Maryland, and 17 are already in storage at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division in Point Mugu, California.
Asked why the service is retiring a capability it referred to as “a pillar in the navy and Marine Corps unmanned campaign plan” as recently as May 2022, Adams says the decision is rooted in cost versus capability.
“If you look at Fire Scout right now, it’s sitting around $28 m per copy. I can do the same mission with a $100,000 to $250,000 piece of gear. That’s what has changed – the maturation of group 3 UAV systems since that time.”
Group 3 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are vehicles weighing less than 599kg (1,320lb) and that fly slower than 250kt (463km/h), like the Boeing Insitu RQ-21 Blackjack now in service with the USN and US Marine Corps for ISR missions.
But Adams says the USN currently has no unmanned aircraft available to replace capabilities the service will lose when it retires its MQ-8Cs this autumn. Industry-developed Group 3 UAS “that are 4X more-capable than current group 3 [UAS]” are being evaluated now, he adds.
“In concert with our industry partners, we look forward to flight-based testing at the end of this year.”
Manned aircraft, including Sikorsky MH-60s, will have to pick up the slack, Adams says. “We only have two [MQ-8Cs] out on deployment, so we think it’s reasonable that the MH-60s can cover-down on the two that are actually deployed. Those two [MQ-8Cs] are all we’ve been required to field.”
However, the USN’s Constellation-class frigates – originally intended to achieve operational capability in 2026 but now delayed until 2029 – are actually being designed to carry MQ-8Cs.
“The system is being built into the Constellation-class frigate design, most notably the USS Constellation (FFG-62), as well as other ship classes,”
Captain Dennis Monagle, who leads the USN’s Multi-Mission Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems programme office that oversees MQ-8C, said in May 2022.
The MQ-8C retirements leave unclear how or if the USN will attempt to replace on its Constellation-class frigates the autonomous capabilities that the MQ-8Cs were to have provided, but Adams suspects relatively cheap “attritable” unmanned aircraft will fill the void.
“Realistically, with the [frigate] being delayed, I think we’ll find ourselves with these affordable, attritable, connected UAS,” Adams says, “that would team with our MH-60R aboard those ships.” (Source: UAS VISION/FlightGlobal)
10 Jun 24. Preparing to Pioneer: Controlling Drones from an H145M. Airbus Helicopters uses flying ‘labs’ to test innovation technobricks. Similarly, one H145M has become a lab for military applications, including for MUM-T activities.
“You must imagine two launchers on the helicopter, each with several tubes in which you can theoretically put a drone in each of them. That means you could launch many drones nearly parallel or in a very short sequence.” H145M programme manager Constance Pinsdorf is generally all business (she has military and engineering credentials, after all), but she betrays a hint of humour as she describes unmanned drones whizzing by like a scene from a futuristic movie.
Such a scene is, in fact, the possible culmination of the H145M’s manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T) potential. In the last six years, several steps were performed which could offer growth potential for a serial product or capability. That’s why an H145M was used as a kind of demonstrator, on which these kinds of new scenarios or concepts could be tested. In the quest to refine the H145M’s MUM-Tperformance, the team has advanced on fronts as varied as cockpit design, software and a partnership ecosystem.
Symbol of progress
Testing whether the helicopter crew could control a drone in flight began in 2018. Mission accomplished but “we learned it was too high a workload and would have required two more ‘cabin operators’ as crew. This failed to adhere to our “original” helicopter crew concept ,” says Pinsdorf.
Manned unmanned teaming necessitates the crew keep track of the drone and therefore cockpit interfaces must help the pilots handle this second ‘mission’. The H145M thus underwent a cockpit redesign, getting a new 17-inch displaydedicated to drone operation. So successful was this bigger display, a slightly modified version was introduced for the H145 for “civil” applications.
For the drone to carry out a mission largely independently once the crew has given it a command, you need impeccable task-based guidance. For this, Airbus Helicopters sought the support of a software start-up, HAT.tec, to build a strong algorithm to control the drone’s actions. Within limits. “The person in the loop always has to press the final button”, stresses Pinsdorf.
Following tests and demo flights, a trial came in 2022 when the H145M took part in a fictional combat demonstration as part of the future combat air system (FCAS) project. In concert with a jet and several real unmanned ‘remote carriers’, the H145M’s crew took control of one of these “remote carriers”, and with it, its live video stream.
No easy feat because MUM-T introduces additional challenges when communications are involved, be they up, down or, in the case of helicopters, possibly through the rotor level. “We need flexibility on the helicopter’s side to handle communications,” Pinsdorf says, citing the data link system and installation of antennae on the airframe as two examples.
For the realisation of these capabilities it is essential that helicopter prototypes are available and corresponding simulator testbeds for the team to try out its solutions, especially for data-links to the different types of drone but also the ever-complex algorithm as well as the installation of different antennae. The aim is to haveplatform-agnostic teaming capabilities but if an operator selects a certain kind of drone, the same capability must ultimately equip the helicopter.
What about several drones, all launched from the helicopter? Research into air-launched effects (ALE) dominates much of the team’s focus. Here, too, the H145M is a perfect lab, already equipped with a launcher system which might possibly be reused. Next steps hinge on finding a strong partner for the drone equipment, and on meeting with operators for their input. “We listen very carefully to the military-market and their operators who are well-informed, which informs our baseline: what is needed for real-life operations?” says Pinsdorf. (Source: ASD Network)
07 Jun 24. AUVSI and DIU issue guidance on secure drone procurement for agencies and industry. The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has published a memo, with validation from the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), with procurement guidance and recommendations for federal government agencies; state, local, and tribal government agencies; public safety agencies; and private industry conducting sensitive missions using drones.
“Both public and private entities face challenges in determining which regulations, standards, or guidance they must or should abide by in their procurement processes,” the memo states. “The lack of clarity has led federal agencies, commercial entities, state and local governments to default to the DIU’s Blue UAS Cleared List as guidance or a standard. However, DIU has always intended for Blue UAS to provide technology solutions for the US Department of Defense, as called for by the policy establishing the Blue UAS List.”
The memo goes on to say that Congress has not mandated or provided funding to DIU to take on the responsibility of assessing all commercial sector UAS and components that could serve the needs of all government agencies. In close collaboration with DIU, AUVSI provides Green UAS as a solution to fill the gaps between the Blue UAS Cleared List and drones that meet non-Department of Defense needs.
“The Green UAS program mirrors Blue requirements for the certification process and also expands upon it, including a Remote Operations and Connectivity assessment that has become increasingly important across use cases,” the memo states.
The memo follows the passage of the American Security Drone Act into law in December 2023 and publication of a joint memo from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency in January 2024 titled Cybersecurity Guidance: Chinese-Manufactured Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
The new AUVSI/DIU memo’s release also follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in April between DIU and AUVSI to create a process for drone component manufacturers holding Green UAS certification to share their data directly with DIU.
AUVSI expects to announce the certification of additional UAS platforms as Green approved in the coming weeks, which will expand the offerings of vetted UAS that serve sectors in public safety, critical infrastructure, and agriculture. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
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