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27 Jun 24. Airbus SIRTAP UAS completes critical design review.
The Airbus SIRTAP unmanned aircraft system (UAS) recently passed its critical design review (CDR), freezing the final system architecture and design ahead of production.
The manufacturer announced the milestone on 27 June, saying the CDR had assessed alignment between manufacturing capabilities and design principles, and that the maturity of the different systems had been assured ahead of final system certification by the end of 2026.
The CDR was signed off by the Spanish Ministry of Defence (MoD), which in November 2023 contracted nine systems comprising a total of 27 air vehicles and nine ground control stations for the Spanish Army and the Air and Space Force. With two simulators, the deal was valued at approximately EUR495 m (USD543 m at the time).
Originally named Atlante II, the SIRTAP moniker is a Spanish acronym that loosely translates as ‘Integrated System for High-Performance Unmanned Air System’. With Airbus having originally launched SIRTAP with Colombia, the contract with Spain formally kick-started development of the UAS that is being billed as sitting midway between the light tactical and medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) classes.
With a maximum take-off weight of 700 kg and a 150 kg payload capability, the SIRTAP is intended to be equipped with both a multimission radar (enabling over land and maritime roles) and an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) sensor turret. Company specifications give the unmanned aircraft a range of more than 2,000 km and an endurance of over 20 hours.
SIRTAP uses an Airbus common ground control station and would be capable of both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight operations. The system will also be certified to fly in segregated airspace.
(Source: Janes)
27 Jun 24. Hand-Launched Reconnaissance UAV Showcased at Eurosatory 2024.
Granta Autonomy’s Hornet XR recon unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) weighs 2.9kg, launches with a simple throw, and silently flies for up to 3 hours. Lithuania’s Granta Autonomy has showcased the company’s Hornet XR unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) line at Eurosatory in Paris, small and discreet hand-launched recon drones suited for covert operations.
The Hornet XR boasts several key features for covert missions. Weighing just 2.9kg, it launches with a simple throw and silently flies for up to 3 hours, covering vast distances (up to 160km) unseen. Pre-programmed missions allow for autonomous operation, even in GNSS-denied environments, or when radio signals are jammed or unavailable. Landing employs a deep-stall method for easy retrieval, and the compact, modular design makes it easy to transport in a car trunk.
Gediminas Guoba, Founder and CEO, said; “The Hornet XR embodies Granta Autonomy’s design philosophy. Our team of military drone operators and engineers built their expertise into this design. It offers the industry’s best flight time, simple operation, and rugged durability, leading to increased efficiency, lower costs, and unmatched reliability in complex, multi-faceted missions. We collaborate directly with soldiers in combat zones, testing our products and software in real-world situations. This ensures our solutions excel in the harshest conditions.”
The Hornet XR integrates Granta Autonomy’s powerful and dependable GS-214X and GS-218X gimbal systems. These lightweight, direct drive gimbals feature a powerful camera system, which captures clear daytime images from long distances (up to 5km) and provides essential thermal vision for nighttime operations, guaranteeing mission success around the clock. Granta Autonomy’s Datalink software ensures compatibility with most Ground Control Station software. (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
26 Jun 24. Indian Armed Forces Order Made-in-India Tapas Drones from DRDO. The Indian Air Force and Navy have decided to acquire 10 Tapas drones – six for the Air Force and four for the Navy, underscoring their growing trust in Indigenous defence equipment. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Tapas drones reflect India’s commitment to self-reliance in defence technology.
However, these drones do not meet the joint services’ qualitative requirements (JSQR) of 30,000 feet altitude and 24-hour endurance. Despite this, the armed forces have chosen to embrace these drones for their current capabilities of 28,000 feet altitude and 18-hour endurance. This decision reflects confidence in DRDO’s ongoing efforts to enhance drone performance and meet the demanding JSQR standards. Significantly, this procurement aligns with the broader vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India), a strategic move aiming to reduce dependency on foreign military equipment and promote domestic manufacturing.
The Indian armed forces operate dozens of Israeli Heron Mk1 and Searcher Mk1 drones, which rely on LOS communication. The recent induction of four Heron Mk2 drones, equipped with enhanced capabilities and satcom, marks a significant upgrade. Furthermore, the Army and Navy have ordered four domestically produced Dhristi 10 Starliner UAVs, with two allocated to each service and deliveries already underway. The procurement of Tapas drones will further bolster the survivability and operational flexibility of the Indian armed forces’ drone fleet, enhancing their capability to perform diverse missions in challenging environments.
ISR Missions and Strategic Deployment
The Tapas drones are set to assume a critical role in Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions along India’s western and northern borders. These regions, in light of the ongoing tensions and security challenges, are not just important but strategically vital. The high-altitude and long-endurance capabilities of the Tapas drones will ensure continuous monitoring of these sensitive areas, providing the armed forces with invaluable real-time intelligence, thereby reinforcing the urgency and necessity of their deployment.
In addition to border surveillance, the Navy is planning to deploy the technologically advanced Tapas drones in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This region is critical for safeguarding India’s maritime interests and ensuring the security of crucial sea lanes. The deployment of Tapas drones, with their advanced capabilities, will significantly enhance the Navy’s ability to monitor and patrol the vast maritime expanse, detect potential threats, and respond swiftly to any incidents. Notably, the Tapas drones can be operated from small runways, making them particularly suitable for deployment in island territories. By leveraging the advanced capabilities of Tapas drones, the Indian Navy can significantly improve its maritime domain awareness and strengthen its strategic posture in the region.
Future Requirements for MALE UAVs
India’s armed forces are increasingly requiring medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) UAVs to bolster their ISR capabilities. The induction of Hermes 900 drones alongside Heron Mk2 signifies a strategic push to diversify and upgrade the UAV inventory. Reports indicate that the armed forces plan to induct 91 drones, which could be either Heron Mk2 or Drishti 10 Starliner, emphasising partial or complete domestic manufacturing to align with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
While the Indian Army’s specific decision on Tapas procurement is yet to be made public, the Indian Air Force and Navy have clearly shown their preference for indigenous solutions by ordering the Tapas drones. This move marks the beginning of a crucial strategic evaluation phase, where the performance of these drones will be meticulously monitored and assessed. The feedback and data gathered during this period will be of utmost importance in shaping future procurement decisions.
The drones would be manufactured by a consortium of Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
In one of the trials, the drone was also operated by Indian Navy officials over the Arabian Sea for a few hours after it flew from an airfield in Chitradurga, Karnataka. According to the sources, the runway length required for the Tapas drone to take off is not very long and can be used from some of the small airfields in the island territories and mainland. (Source: UAS VISION/BARAT SHAKTI; ANI)
25 Jun 24. Royal Navy heads toward autonomous maritime aviation.
The Navy will move away from a platform-centric approach to start cultivating a system-of-systems network. The UK Royal Navy will welcome up to 200 suppliers to an industry engagement conference in Portsmouth to discuss the details of its future Maritime Aviation Transformation programme beyond 2040.
In a government notice to industry issued on 21 June 2024, the service revealed that it plans to make clear “the principles, challenges and aims of the strategy.” The information shared will be classified at the Official level.
Since the force laid out its plans for autonomy in the Maritime Operating Concept nearly two years ago, the Royal Navy has pledged it will begin to ‘think big, and start small’ when it comes to their plans to autonomise their maritime aviation fleet for the future.
To ensure the transition to uncrewed autonomy is achieveable the service will maintain its overarching ambitions – for greater mass and and more uncrewed systems – by achieving shorter-term goals and scaling up at pace through experimentation.
Currently the naval force operate numerous crewed rotorcraft types, including 28 AW159 Wildcat attack helicopters and more than 50 Merlin anti-submarine warfare platforms – the original Mark 1 Merlin units were procured from as early as the late 1990s.
In an effort to expand the future capabilities and mass of its maritime aviation inventory, the Navy will field new uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) such as the Peregrine S-100 camcopter surveillance system, the Mojave medium-altitude long endurance system as well as the Malloy TRV-150 light logistic Support system for Royal Commando units, among others.
A fundamental part of the new strategy will see the Navy move away from a platform-centric approach to cultivating a system-of-systems network.
Providing digital infrastructure
A critical concern for achieving the transition to autonomy will be to provide the necessary digital framework to operate this sophisticated network of systems.
This will include digital standards; air vehicle and control or tasking; edge processing; product management and integration.
There has already been some success when QinetiQ, a British defence supplier, became the first in the UK to trial a crewed-uncrewed teaming demonstration two months ago.
A crewed jet took off from Ministry of Defence (MoD) site Boscombe Down in Salisbury, UK, while a modified Banshee Jet 80 UAS was launched from the MoD Hebrides range, off the north-west coast of Scotland.
Banshee was equipped with QinetiQ’s Airborne Command and Control for Swarm Interoperable Missions technology, which allows the UAS to communicate with the crewed aircraft using the same communications as the standard Nato Link 16 datalink.
Flying at 350 knots, the mission was completed not only by the live Banshee but also by several digital Banshees within a live virtual swarm, successfully acting in a co-ordinated manner. (Source: naval-technology.com)
25 Jun 24. Meet DARPA’s Newest X-plane: XRQ-73.
- The SHEPARD program’s hybrid-electric uncrewed aircraft system has its official X-plane designation
The Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration program, known as SHEPARD, has received its official X-plane designation: XRQ-73.
SHEPARD is an “X-prime” program, leveraging the series hybrid electric architecture and some of the component technologies from the earlier AFRL/IARPA Great Horned Owl (GHO) project.
“The idea behind a DARPA X-prime program is to take emerging technologies and burn down system-level integration risks to quickly mature a new missionized long endurance aircraft design that can be fielded quickly,” said Steve Komadina, SHEPARD program manager. “The SHEPARD program is maturing a specific propulsion architecture and power class as an exemplar of potential benefits for the Department of Defense.”
The DARPA team includes members from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and our warfighters.
The prime contractor for SHEPARD is Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Aeronautics Systems sector in Redondo Beach, CA. Scaled Composites, LLC is a major supplier, along with Cornerstone Research Group, Inc., Brayton Energy, LLC, PC Krause and Associates, and EaglePicher Technologies, LLC.
The XRQ-73 aircraft will be a Group 3 UAS weighing approximately 1,250 pounds. First flight of the XRQ-73 is expected by year-end 2024.
(Source: ASD Network)
24 Jun 24. Thales obtains the First EASA Drone Design Verification Report.
- Design Verification Report (DVR) is a new process set up by EASA1 to grant UAS design approvals for medium risk drone operations, today under the Specific Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III and IV.
- Thales is the first company to be granted a full DVR for Light UAS SAIL III with the ScaleFlyt avionic solution integrated on an Aeromapper AVEM 300 CERBERE UAV.
- This world premiere ideally positions Thales to perform long-range drone operations for surveillance, detection and alert and achieve its UAS100 drone certification.
Thales received the first full DVR ever granted by EASA to operate light UAS in medium risk, SAIL III. This DVR process set in place in April 2021 by the Agency aims at ensuring safe drone operations. Such a premiere strengthens the Group’s position on emerging civil drone market and represents further progress towards the certification of the Thales UAS100 in the most demanding conditions.
Flying drones represents a tremendous opportunity to convey new missions and operate with lower environmental and economic costs. However, uncontrolled flying objects could pose risks to air traffic as well as installations and people on the ground. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has defined a set of rules to guarantee the safety of drone operations, according to a risk based and proportional approach.
The Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) enables defining the applicable Specific Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) and determines the need for a Design Verification Report (DVR) from the agency.
Thales, in partnership with Aeromapper and ONERA, is the first company to be ever granted such a DVR by EASA for a complete drone system enabling operations in SAIL III conditions. Beyond demonstrating the value of the Group’s expertise in avionics and certification combined with its innovation capability at the service of civil UAVs, it is a decisive step to deploy long range drones operations in Europe.
This European premiere is the result of close cooperation with EASA to define and validate the means of compliance to the Light UAS Special Condition. The solution is based on Thales ScaleFlyt avionics solution, integrated in AVEM 300 UAV and its CERBERE safety critical autopilot, provided by the innovative startup Aeromapper. ONERA, the French aerospace lab, conducted the safety analysis through the PHYDIAS R&T project financed by the French Authority DGAC.
“We are particularly proud to achieve such a premiere as it paves the way for wider deployment of secure long-range drone operations. The next milestone to make a step change for civil and governmental UAV operations will be to achieve DVR SAIL IV for Thales UAS100. Defence mission will benefit from AVEM 300 proven triplex avionics, CERBERE, since Aeromapper recently joined forces with Thales’ land and air systems activities” Marc Duval-Destin, VP Strategy, Product Policy and Innovation, Flight Avionics activities, Thales.
Thales UAS100 is secured by the ScaleFlyt avionics solutions used for the DVR. Next steps for its certification are already engaged with the agency and flight test campaign is ongoing, notably through a cooperation agreement with Centaurium UAS, a subsidiary of Switzerland-based Centaurium Group, which plans to provide drone services to Swiss authorities and industry players.
24 Jun 24. Irish Aviation Authority issues new UAS operational authorisation to A-techSYN. Advanced Technologies with Synergies (A-techSYN) has secured another uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) operational authorisation from the Irish Aviation Authority. The authorisation allows A-techSYN to perform SAIL-II Level operations and its new base of operation will be the Carrowmore Point on the west coast of Ireland.
The company develops and manufactures the CGT-50 VTOL UAS which is designed for a range of applications, including maritime surveys and security operations. The previous authorisation in Wicklow limited A-techSYN to perform flights in a TRA only environment. This new authorisation will allow proof of concept flights below 500 feet as well as more complex and varied operations for applications up to 2500 feet within the TRA which exceeds 100 sq. nautical miles.
Over the coming months, A-techSYN is planning to perform up to 100 BVLOS flights for existing (DTIF-GUARD, UAVES, MISTRAL) and future projects with the CGT50 VTOL UAS. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
24 Jun 24. JARUS and TIACA sign agreement on uncrewed cargo operations.
Hao LIU Hao, Secretary General of the Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems (JARUS), and Glyn H. Hughes, Director General of The International Air Cargo Association (TIACA), signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
The primary objective of the MoU is to strengthen cooperation between JARUS and TIACA, aiming to promote the contribution of uncrewed aviation, specifically air cargo, to global economic and social development.
“The cooperation between TIACA and JARUS marks a significant step forward in advancing commercial unmanned aviation, providing the global community with safe, secure, sustainable, and cost-effective cargo transportation. By working together, we will drive innovative air cargo transportation solutions, always prioritising safety,” said LIU Hao, Secretary General of JARUS. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
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