Douglas Barrie/LONDON
THE UK MINISTRY of Defence is looking at possible future unmanned-air-vehicle (UAV) roles under a tri-service study being coordinated by a Royal Air Force operational-requirements department.
The move comes as the MoD prepares to announce that GEC-Marconi has finally resolved the long-running problems with its Phoenix reconnaissance UAV for the British Army. An announcement is due in September, depending on satisfactory final contract negotiations, according to Whitehall officials. The Phoenix is eight years late and heavily over budget.
The tri-service study will act as a clearing house for the RAF Royal Navy and the Army to examine joint and independent UAV needs.
With the hope that the Phoenix debacle is behind it, the MoD is now actively considering future UAV procurements for additional roles.
GEC-Marconi, for instance, has proposed the Monarch family of electronic-warfare (EW) UAV payloads, covering communications and radar jamming, along with electronic support-measures.
Given the limitations of the Phoenix air vehicle and its recovery method (it is parachute-landed upside down on an air bag to reduce impact damage), GEC is considering alternative UAV platforms for future projects.
In addition to EW roles, the MoD is also beginning to look at UAVs for roles such as laser target-designation and radar surveillance.
A UAV platform may be considered as part of the UK airborne stand-off radar (ASTOR) battlefield-surveillance project. With an in-service date of around 2003, however, UAV technology may not be considered mature enough.
The more likely first RAF use, is to replace the English Electric Canberra PR9 photo-reconnaissance aircraft, early in the next century with UAVs.
Source: Flight International
