US DEPARTMENT OF Defense efforts to merge the close-range and maritime unmanned-air-vehicle (UAV) programmes will complicate industry attempts to produce the next members of the US military's drone family, say industry sources.
The rethink comes as senior Pentagon officials are determining the fate of the TRW/Israel Aircraft Industries Hunter short-range UAV, and mapping out how the close-range UAV programme is to be restructured. A Defense Acquisition Board meeting on these issues which was scheduled for 22 November was delayed, however.
The French Ministry of Defence says that it is freezing its plans to purchase a Hunter evaluation system until the US situation becomes clearer.
The close-range and short-range projects were merged into the Joint Tactical UAV programme (JTUAV) two years ago. The close-range UAV then became the manoeuvre variant of the JTUAV.
A US Navy vertical take-off and landing UAV was shelved because of budget restrictions, with the Navy planning instead to operate a maritime variant of the short-range Hunter from warships.
The Joint Requirements Oversight Council ordered that the manoeuvre drone also undertake the maritime mission, and the UAV Joint Program Office appears to be ready to combine the manoeuvre and maritime drone projects.
The latest request for information (RFI) for the close-range, low-altitude, UAV programme, which has now been re-named the Tactical UAV (TUAV), reflected this position.
It was expected that the Pentagon would buy 100 close-range systems, each with four air-vehicles, two ground-control stations and associated equipment. The TUAV was to be fielded only with US Army and US Marine Corps combat units.
The RFI surprised potential bidders with worries that the procurement could drop to as few as 55 systems. The TUAV always had a mandatory range of 50km (30nm), but the RFI says that the desired range is now 275km.
Potential bidders were asked for the first time how they might modify their air vehicles for shipboard use. The RFI called for a target cost of $300,000 per sensor-equipped air vehicle.
Bidders believe that the new performance requirements are achievable with growth versions of the drones, which were originally proposed.
They call into question, however, whether a larger UAV can still fit on two High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles and one trailer and be deployable in a single Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules military transport. Industry officials are also sceptical that the $300,000 cost goal can be met.
Source: Flight International
