Leicester site could circumvent Israeli export controls if bid for Watchkeeper surveillance UAV contract succeeds
Thales is proposing to set up a joint-venture company with Israeli manufacturer Elbit in Leicester, UK as part of its bid for Watchkeeper, the £800 million ($1.43 billion) UK tactical surveillance unmanned air vehicle contract. A decision between Thales and a team led by Northrop Grumman, based on the RQ-8A Firescout rotary-wing UAV, is due in December.
The 150-person company would be jointly owned and managed by both companies, and would own all the intellectual property involved in the Watchkeeper bid, allowing Thales to seek export sales for the Watchkeeper system without running up against Israeli defence export controls. Thales says that the joint venture "will enable long-term UK self-sufficiency in UAVs". Thales has also revealed Boeing's involvement in its bid: the US company is responsible for ensuring that Watchkeeper remains compatible with future US equipment. Winning the contract will create over 1,000 new jobs, and guarantee another 1,000, Thales says. However, the company refused to say whether it will continue with the project if it loses the Watchkeeper contract to Northrop Grumman.
According to Thales programme head Alex Cresswell, "60% of the cost of the system is on the ground". He adds: "There are a number of export prospects, including France and Australia. We have an export market forecast at £400 million over the next 10 years out of a total tactical UAV market of £3 billion."
The final package will include 16 vehicle-mounted ground control stations and an undecided number of UAVs, of the smaller WK180 and larger WK450 types - with 180kg (395lb) and 450kg maximum take-off weight, respectively.
The WK180 will carry a single sensor payload, typically a combined electro-optical/infrared/laser designator turret; the WK450 will carry two, which could include a synthetic-aperture radar, and will have 17h endurance compared with the WK180's 10h and Firescout's 4h. The longer endurance will reduce attrition, as most UAV crashes occur at take-off and landing; with longer endurance, fewer sorties will have to be flown to maintain coverage, reducing risk, Cresswell says.
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL / LONDON
Source: Flight International
