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18 June 2003
On of the themes of this year's event at Le Bourget is the advance of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with an array of automated aircraft of all shapes and sizes on display, from the giant Global Hawk to micro UAVs. While the industry celebrates one hundred years of manned flight, UAVs represent the next chapter in aviation history.
The US and Israel have led the way in developing the technologies and solutions that have made the possibilities offered by UAVs into feasible realities. However, the situation in Europe is indicative of the funding problems that the US has complained of with regard to its NATO colleagues across the Atlantic.
"UAVs are the future," said ATKearney Vice President, Duncan Craig. "So where is the joint programme for the development of UAVs at a European level?" It is true to say that the big three in Europe, France, Germany and the UK are initiating significant programmes with regard to UAVs but these efforts are far from concerted.
The French Government this week named Dassault as the prime contractor on a project to design a demonstrator prototype of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) and has expressed an interest in the Northrop Grumman built Global Hawk that has proved itself gathering information in combat situations for the USAF.
The German MOD is already co-operating with Northrop and the USAF, along with systems integrator EADS, on the Euro Hawk a version of the US platform. In October the four-way co-operative will conduct a series of demonstrator flights from Northern Germany to establish the feasibility of the Euro Hawk with particular regard to the complicated issue of airspace entry.
The UK is conducting a competition at the moment for its Watchkeeper project with the likes of BAE SYSTEMS, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin bidding for the contract. Yet there is no common policy in an area where research and development should be a priority.
James B. "Jim" Smith Raytheon's new Vice President of Precision Engagement, and until recently a Brigadier General in the US Air Force, who served as Commander, Joint Warfighting Center, US Joint Forces Command, Joint Training Analysis and Simulation Center, thinks the debate over UAVs will run and run, and sees rapid development in the field.
"If we were to see a conflict of a similar scale to recent conflicts in ten years time, instead of a couple of Global Hawk flying, you would see a thousand mini-UAVs each carrying two pieces of nano-technology each with a different role to play," Smith said.
There are a number of issues that are currently pertinent to the spread of UAVs, not least the expense that is involved, particularly as these systems get loaded with technology. The idea of whether, and how best, to keep a human in the system loop must also be resolved. At a European level greater investment and co-operation should be a priority.
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