Feature 4 | Unmanned Vehicles
RINA conference puts UAV/aircraft issues
in the spotlight
RINA’s Warship 2009 conference included a number of papers that focused
on aspects of naval aviation and on issues relating to future aircraft and
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) integration into – and operation from –
future platforms, some highlights of which are presented here.
A
s Mel Waugh, Stability Manager at
the ANZAC Systems Programme
Office at the Defence Materiel
Organisation in Australia noted in his
presentation, UAVs are becoming key
enablers for littoral and ‘asymmetric’
warfare.
“Their integration into an existing
platform present a number of challenges
whereby launch and retrieval methods
reduce the candidates for frigate
consideration while size and weight
determines quantities that could be
embarked,” Mr Waugh noted. “The
emerging technology comes in many
shapes and sizes and a review of current
technology shows that Vertical Takeoff
and Landing (VTOL) UAVs and Mini
UAVs are worthy of further consideration
for their suitability.”
Whilst conventional launch and A Scan Eagle UAV is launched from the flight deck of the US Navy LHA Saipan.
recovery from a helicopter deck might be
possible for larger UAV, for a Mini UAV
the launch method is typically a hydraulic suspended from the yardarm.” as fast-rope boarding party, would not be
launching rail or catapult with shipboard VTOL UAVs tend to be larger and able to be performed,” he explained.
recovery achieved via net (such as in more capable for a variety of missions. “The ANZAC Frigate will soon have an
the Killer Bee UAV), via sky hook (Scan Improvements to the Fire Scout MQ-8B enclosed quarterdeck whereby real estate
Eagle), via deep stall (Skylark) or arresting are reported to give the vehicle the will become available below the flight
cables (Shadow 200). ability to carry precision-guided air-to- deck,” he told the conference. “In the
“The advantage of the Mini UAV is that surface missiles. However, a helicopter rush to populate this space consideration
the launch and recovery operations can handling system may be required to should be given to integrating a UAV
be separate from the flight deck where safely manage the 1430kg MAUW. “This capability. By relocating the gymnasium
conventional helicopter operations may be larger vehicle requires a flight deck for from the hangar mezzanine to the
taking place,” said Mr Waugh. Referring launch and recovery with trials recently quarterdeck there would be storage and
to the Royal Australian Navy’s ANZAC demonstrating automatic recovery onto maintenance real estate adjacent to the
class frigates, said Mr Waugh: “The an underway frigate,” he noted. hangar for a UAV to be embarked, without
traditional hangar seems reserved for the “Rather than carrying both the this requiring major modifications.
helicopter, therefore other compartments traditional helicopter plus one VTOL “Versatility is required,” he concluded,
are required for storage and maintenance UAV, consideration could be given to highlighting the TRIGON handling system
of UAV. The small size and low weight of carrying several Fire Scout MQ-8B with installed on US Navy’s Littoral Combat
the Mini UAV could result in the storage storage and maintenance undertaken in Ship (LCS) Freedom, which handles both
and maintenance area being located the traditional hangar. If this consideration the Seahawk MH-60R helicopter and the
between the funnels with the catapult were adopted then it is acknowledged RQ-8A Firescout UAV. “Versatility leads
above the hangar and a sky hook that some of the aviation missions, such to interoperability among partner navies
26 Warship Technology March 2010
WT_Mar-2010_p26-27-28.indd 26 23/02/2010 16:00:38
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