Royal Air Force's premier still-imagery sensor to be mounted on aircraft in experiment to develop UAV expertise
The UK's Joint Unmanned Air Vehicle Experimentation Programme (JUEP) office aims to mount a Goodrich Raptor reconnaissance pod on a General Atomics Predator B as part of its ongoing effort to develop expertise in UAV operations.
The aim of the experiment is to test persistent intelligence and surveillance capabilities and concepts, says Lt Col Dick Park, commander of the UK's JUEP office. The Raptor pod is the Royal Air Force's premier still-imagery sensor and was used during last year's Iraq war with Panavia Tornado GR4 aircraft.
The Predator B/Raptor trial will form part of the third year of experiments under the JUEP, which will also within the next 12 months mount activities to test UAVs in maritime and urban environments. Maritime experiments will involve cueing UAVs from Royal Navy Westland Sea King ASaC7 airborne surveillance and control helicopters and also using UAVs to direct and control naval gunfire support during an exercise off Scotland, Park told Shephard's UV Europe 2004 conference in London on 15 July.
Royal Marine Commandos and the RAF Regiment will be involved in urban warfare experiments using Dragon Eye and Buster micro-UAVs, respectively, to provide close surveillance of villages and buildings. An urban exercise in February 2005 will involve the use of EADS Scorpio and Quadcopter micro-UAVs.
Last year the JUEP leased an EADS/Israel Aircraft Industries Eagle 1 medium-altitude long-endurance UAV and took it to NAS Fallon in the USA to participate in the Desert Rescue combat search-and-rescue exercise. The Eagle 1 was then taken to Canada's Suffield training area for a major British Army field exercise, during which imagery was downloaded from the UAV into a land component headquarters. UK personnel were involved in assessing tactical data, but did not fly the air vehicle.
It has also emerged that RAF personnel are already gaining hands-on experience of operating the General Atomics Predator in Iraq, where a US-UK Combined Joint Predator Task Force has been formed to provide UAV support for UK forces in the south east of the country. RAF personnel trained on the Predator in the USA earlier in the year and now work with a US Air Force Predator squadron in Iraq, flying the air vehicle and overseeing the distribution of imagery to British commanders.
The tri-service JUEP organisation is now in its second year of operations under a planned three-year programme. In addition to testing new systems and sensors, it is also supporting the introduction of the UK's Thales Watchkeeper intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance UAVs from late 2006.
Future activities for the JUEP could include the assessment of UAVs for armed applications.
TIM RIPLEY / LONDON
Source: Flight International
