Australian Defence Force chief Gen Peter Cosgrove wants the purchase of tactical unmanned air vehicles fast-tracked as part of an ongoing overhaul of the country's 10-year defence capability plan (DCP). Australia has also confirmed the use of hand-launched UAVs in East Timor.
Cosgrove says: "We need to look at a range of Australian and overseas tactical UAVs and the available sensor mix and other payloads." He adds that programme acceleration needs to be considered in the DCP.
The Australian Defence Materiel Organisation had been planning release of a draft request for tenders for a tactical UAV programme within two months. However, the Australian government has deferred funding approval until later this year, and timetables are now unclear.
Apaper has been released revealing the use of UAVs in East Timor. Although it does not identify the type, they are known to be Codarra CX-1 Avatars with twin daylight cameras.
Source: Flight International
