The Netherlands is proceeding with plans to run a competition to acquire full fleets of small and mini UAVs in the near term despite having acquired five EMT Aladin systems to meet urgent operational requirements in Afghanistan.
The Netherlands is also considering either upgrading or replacing its existing Sagem Sperwer tactical UAVs, with decisions dependent on the outcomes of a proposed operational deployment to Afghanistan from November this year.
The short range requirement is based on acquisition of four systems, each comprising two air vehicles and a GCS and transportable by a single vehicle. The UAV is expected to have 4h endurance, an operational radius of 30-70km, and a combined day and night video camera sensor suite. Initial operational capability is planned for 2008.
One system will be reserved for use in supporting homeland security roles in the Netherlands says Commander Jan Ouwens from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance programme staff. He was speaking at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Unmanned Systems North America conference in Orlando, Florida, 28 August.
A parallel requirement for mini UAVs is still awaiting approvals from within the Netherlands armed forces headquarters but is expected to result in the fielding of 24 systems, each comprising two back-packable air vehicles and one GCS. The UAV would have 1h endurance with initial operational capability aimed at 2009.
The Netherlands Army's Aladin systems are already in Afghanistan and were declared operational "in recent weeks" Ouwens says. “We sent it out to Afghanistan to support our troops but at the same time it is a sort of trial for the Netherlands with a system like this.”
He acknowledges Aladin is an expected contender for the mature mini requirement, as is the Elbit Skylark I.
If implemented the proposed Sperwer capability upgrade could extend that systems service life out to 2020. “It is not a specific requirement but money has been reserved for this programme”.
The Netherlands Army currently fields 32 Sperwer air vehicles organised as two battalions of 16 aircraft, each with two ground control stations and two launcher systems. The system was accepted for operational service in 2002.
Sperwer represents a “first generation of UAV systems in the Netherlands and therefore it has its limitations” Ouwens says. “It is not networked enabled.”
“The intention is, and no decision has been made yet, but we think that the Sperwer system will be sent out to Afghanistan by the end of November. Then the system can prove itself. We know that the sensor is excellent, but the platform itself has its limitations”.
There are “newer, better and cheaper systems available at the moment” which would provide the Netherlands with manpower savings over continued Sperwer operation he says.
“What we hope to do is evaluate Sperwer during the possible deployment in Afghanistan…and those results will be important for a decision on either to quit the programme, or not to quit the programme but fly on with the system until about 2020.
“We may take a decision to stop with the Sperwer system completely, and buy a new, more modern system as a replacement.”
Source: FlightGlobal.com
