Fast Forward For New Killer Drone?
By David Hambling
Courtesy Of Wired.com
BAE Systems' new Mantis killer drone may be on a fast track from technology demo straight to the battlefield. Even though the Predator-rival has yet to fly, it could be sent to Afghanistan in 2009, according to Flight International:
The deployment could begin next year, replicating the MoD's Project Morrigan, which saw BAE's Herti UAV operate in Afghanistan to prove safe autonomous operations alongside manned strike aircraft in non-segregated airspace.We don’t know exactly what the HERTI drone did in Afghanistan. But BAE Systems, for what it's worth, claims the robo-plane's Afghan adventure was a success:
Commenting on HERTI’s role in Afghanistan Wing Commander Mike Humphreys, Officer Commanding of the RAF’s UAV Battlelab, said: “Whilst the objectives and outputs from the exercise remain classified, the HERTI system has been successful in demonstrating its capability in an operational environment."If it works out as planned, this rapid transition from test model to combat proving may increasingly become the norm for drones. And it's striking just how rapidly they are coming into play, compared to manned aircraft. Commentators at Farnborough were disappointed at how few new traditional aircraft were on display –- but there was no shortage of new unmanned systems.
?There are several factors at play here. One is that cost is related to size, and it's a lot cheaper to put together something the size of Mantis than a manned combat aircraft. Another is certification, which is a lot quicker if you do not have a human pilot. And because companies can afford multiple drone programs, technology can be borrowed from earlier programs, according to makers BAE Systems:
The Mantis benefits from low-cost advanced construction techniques developed on earlier BAE Systems UAS programmes and provides for a wide range of “plug and play” systems and equipment, as well as enabling flexible external stores carriage… The novel design will also explore how low logistical footprint and ease of support could reduce through-life operating costs.
The British Ministry of Defence is funding 50% of the development cost of Mantis. By the second "spiral" or development, it supposed to be able to carry weapons - twelve Brimstone missiles or six Paveway laser-guided bombs, or a combination of the two.
The MoD is already spending a reported billion dollars on ten MQ-9 Reaper drones , having previously lost one in an accident in Afghanistan. A low-cost and preferably British-made killer drone is likely to be a priority for the future. The F-22 took eighteen years between the initial Request For Proposal and initial operations, the Eurogighter Typhoon took even longer. With drones, we might see the development time measured in months rather than years. The robots are coming, and they are evolving fast.
(Picture: David Hambling)
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