Ramon Lopez/MONTREAL
Bombardier Services hopes that participation in the second phase of the US Navy's (USN) vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV) demonstration will highlight the CL-327 Guardian's capabilities in satisfying the US military's VTOL Tactical UAV (VTUAV)requirement.
The Canadian aerospace firm also seeks a role in NATO's delayed maritime UAV (MUAV) demonstration, and expects to see worldwide interest in the vehicles' transition to procurement programmes in Australia, Greece, Turkey and elsewhere, beginning in 1999.
Bombardier profits from a decade of VTOL UAV experience with the Guardian's predecessor, the CL-227 Sentinel (nicknamed the Peanut) and successfully tested from several US Navy USN warships.
Bombardier has a 40 year history with pilotless aircraft. The Guardian is the third Bombardier UAV to enter production, with six air vehicles built for demonstrations, exercises and leasing opportunities. Over 700 CL-89 and CL-289 fixed-wing drones were produced and sold to five nations.
Gilles Laflamme, the firm's director of UAV programmes, admits that Bombardier Services has yet to make any money building VTOL UAVs, but he sees numerous emerging market requirements. Laflamme is confident that the trend in UAV requirements is shifting toward the VTOL design.
The US Defence Department represents the first major test of Bombardier's marketing prowess. On 14 December, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) endorsed a move by the USN and US Marine Corps (USMC) to buy a VTOL UAV, allowing the Navy UAV Programme Office to initiate a fast-track competitive VTUAV procurement.
The final VTUAV Operational Requirements Document (ORD) spells out a 135kt (250km/h) dash speed requirement with a desired top speed of 200kt. Bell Helicopter Textron's Eagle Eye easily qualifies, but Bombardier believes it can compete with the off-the-shelf Guardian or the in-development CL-427 Puma, with top speeds of 85kt and 120 kt, respectively.
The USMC requires 11 VTOL UAV systems (with four air vehicles per system), while the USN plans to buy a dozen. An undetermined number of additional systems will be required for training, and the US Army may require a VTOL UAV system to meet projected tactical UAV requirements. The ORD sets an initial operational capability (IOC) in late fiscal year 2003 and full operational capability two years later.
In July, meanwhile, the Pentagon exercised contract options with Bell Helicopter Textron and Bombardier for air vehicle integration with the Sierra Nevada UAV common automated recovery system and for shipboard trials during the second half of 1999. The demonstration includes a level of air vehicle integration with the Pentagon's Tactical Control Station (TCS).
The Pentagon's VTUAV competition has drawn the interest of Bell Helicopter and at least two of the three largest US defence contractors. Bombardier has teamed with Raytheon Systems while Schweizer Aircraft has joined forces with Northrop Grumman. The latter team is bidding an unmanned derivative of the Schweizer 300CB single-piston light helicopter developed with Japan's Kawada Industries and known as the RoboCopter 300.
The Bombardier/Raytheon teaming was a surprise, with industry observers believing that the Canadian firm had enough clout to go it alone. But Laflamme says a joint bid with a key US weapons systems integrator improves his chances of winning the VTUAV sweepstakes. "We also believe that a Canadian company needs an important US component to win a major US defence contract," he adds. Laflamme says decisions defining each company's responsibilities will be made when the VTUAV request for proposals is issued.
He says the partnership is consistent with ongoing teaming efforts which go beyond the UAV market. Laflamme says the fact that Raytheon Systems (teamed with EG&G and Aerodyne) was recently awarded a $10 million contract to build the initial four TCS engineering development units was "a happy coincidence" that sweetens the deal.
Meanwhile, a trilateral international technology demonstrator programme (ITDP) was formed two years ago by Project Group 35 (PG35) of the NATO Naval Armaments Group to demonstrate a MUAV. DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (Dasa) is to provide the Seamos VTOL UAV, which evolved from the US Gyrodyne QH-50D drone, but Dasa has suffered problems with the autopilot and navigation systems. A Seamos/TCS demonstration due last April was pushed into 1999.
USN Cpt Michael Witte, the TCS programme manager and PG35 chairman, has been told by German officials that Seamos "will be in a position" to support ground testing in January and initial land-based flight testing in April-May. However, industry sources say Seamos will not be ready for testing in early 1999 because of nagging technical problems.
Canada is looking for the funds to join the ITDP. Laflamme says: "With Canadian participation, we're hoping to become part of the ITDP, not necessarily as a replacement for Seamos, but part of a complement of UAVs."
Source: Flight International
