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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
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