Tactical UAS Operations – A Return to

UK Flying

Lieutenant-Colonel Palmer (Craig)

Commanding Officer

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

EP

Funded

UK Army UAS Evolution

2013 + (Core)

Hermes 450 (2007-)

Tactical

Mini

WATCHKEEPER

Nano

Current (UOR)

Desert Hawk 3

(2006-)

Core Programmes? T-HAWK (2010-)

Emerging Technology Black Hornet

Previous (Core)

Phoenix (1997-

2006)

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

BC’S

Tac

(LKG /

BSN)

Bty

Ops

(BSN)

T-H

aw

k

H450 T

L

H450 T

L

H450 T

L

H450 T

L

DH

3 T

p

DH

3 T

p

DH

3 T

p

Sp

Tp

T-H

aw

k D

et

T-H

aw

k D

et

T-H

aw

k D

et

Cre

w

Cre

w

Det

Det

RE

ME

EM

G1/4

Sp

Det

Det

½ c

rew

H450 T

L

UAS

Tac

party

H450 T

L

5x TUAS TL, 12x MUAS TL, 3x T-HAWK

UK MILITARY 182

Contractor (LYDIAN) 8

TOTAL 190 pers

Integrated UAS Battery - Afghanistan

Deployed with Battle-groups

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

‘Industrial’ ISTAR through Urgent Operational Requirements

=

1000+ Products

360 Flights 3300 Flights >1800 hours

760 Flights – 9351 hours

In a 6 month tour…….

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

HERMES 450 System

70,000 Hours

Continuous improvement and Just Culture

Very reliable – UK is now worldwide platform leader

Never had a ‘rogue UA’

17000 hrs since previous accident

‘Persistent Stare’

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

Camp Bastion Airfield Today – Very Busy

5 x daily TUAS Task Lines

operated amongst manned

aircraft:

C-17,C-130, SH, AH

UAS operations controlled

by Air Traffic

3rd busiest UK airport after

London Heathrow and

Gatwick

2007

2012

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

H450 OPERATIONS - BASTION

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

UK Transition from H450 to WATCHKEEPER

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

The WATCHKEEPER System

Remote Video

Terminal (RVT)

Ground Control

Station (GCS)

GMTI/SAR

radar payload

Tac Party Bespoke

Trg Facility

Unmanned Aircraft

Integration

Training System

Ground Equipment

EO/IR/LSS Payload

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

Transition from H450 to WATCHKEEPER

Similarities:

150km range (Line Of Sight from Ground Data Terminal)

14hr+ endurance

16k ft ceiling

Same (proven) engine

Same (proven) Flight Control Software (FCS)

GTOL(H450)/ATOL(WK)

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

UK Transition from H450 to WATCHKEEPER

Improvements (non tactical):

More robust airframe

Rough-strip capable

Built to manned aviation standards

Civil Aviation Authority approvals

Urban over-flight (Salisbury)

De-icing wing and fuel injection

Dual payload (EO/IR+Radar)

UK made and design authority

Fully automated ATOL (no External Pilot)

Stretch potential up to 650 kg

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

WATCHKEEPER Training – Wiltshire

Operate in military

and civilian airspace

Operate from

Boscome Down

Airfield

Always maintain

glide potential to

either BCE or

Emergency Landing

Strip ELS

NOTAM when

hanging airspace is

active

Air Traffic at BCE

de-conflict other air

users

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

Boscome Down

5 Km from Larkhill

Training Facility

Dedicated facilities

c.200 flying days per

year

Integration with Air

Traffic

Similar de-confliction to

Bastion

UAS Test and

Evaluation Sqn based

at Boscome Down

32nd Regiment Royal Artillery

Summary

Rapid Army evolution from PHOENIX – HERMES 450 – WATCHKEEPER

‘Persistent Stare’ in Afghanistan

H450 operated from BASTION airfield

Continuous Improvement and Just Culture

Occurrences driven down

HERMES 70K hrs (17k since last accident)

32 Regt RA pers flying WATCHKEEPER under AVP67

Boscome Down in 2013