Page 22 - Australian Defence Magazine May 2019

EW and UAVs
SEA 129 PHASE 5
Navy moving ahead with UAS
to modifying these if appropriate, although industry would need a firm base on which to respond to the RfP.
The PSI would be contracted to deliver an effect “and if that requires an evolution of a payload or an evolution of an air vehicle then that’s what the PSI would need to pro- vide to us,” CDRE Mann explained.
“In the first instance you’d want to see something that is in service so you can have a degree of confidence the system is low risk to integrate into the ship. But one of the great things about having a PSI will be gain- ing assurance of future systems.
“This structure will also provide us with some efficiencies on the shore side; any part- nering that can deliver a more efficient shore support and help us with our workforce man- agement in the short term will be a bonus. The Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) is an excellent example of where we partner with industry to deliver an effect and I see this as an evolution of that style of partnership.”
Minors progress
Meanwhile trials progress under Navy Mi- nor Project (NMP) 1942, which seeks to imbue the RAN with interim shipborne UAS competencies as a precursor to Sea 129 Phase 5, is positive.
These trials involve the Insitu ScanEagle fixed-wing UAS, and the Schiebel S-100 rotary-wing Camcopter, and both involve an element of tradeoff.
“With a rotary wing we get ease of use on a flight deck but that comes usually with reduced endurance and payload whereas something like the ScanEagle gives us in-
ABOVE: The two contenders being trialled for Navy under the minor program; the Insitu Scaneagle (left) and Schiebel S-100 (right).
PHASE 5 was originally divided into two stages – Stage 1 for a UAS to be deployed on the 12 OPVs from 2021 onwards, and Stage 2 for a second UAS type to equip the nine Hunter-class frigates, the first which will enter service in the late 2020s.
“Given that we’ve chosen both the OPV and the Future Frigate, dividing the phase into two stages made no sense because what webuyforanOPVshouldbeabletogoona MFU (major fleet unit) and vice-versa,” Com- modore David Mann, Director Surface Com- batants and Aviation in CASG explained to ADM. “Basically we’re putting those two stag- es together and just calling it Sea 129 Phase 5.”
Although an opportunity might exist for different systems on larger vessels such as the Canberra-class Landing Helicopter Docks (LHDs) and the 16,190-tonne Land Ship Dock HMAS Choules, the air vehicles were really required just to deliver a payload capacity in a particular area.
“Whether that might be electro-optical, infrared, comms relay, radars or electronic warfare packages, it’s about getting that package in the right place to create the ef- fect, not so much about what the vehicle might be,” CDRE Mann stated.
First Pass approval was expected early next year, followed by a Request for Propos- al (RfP). After responses had been assessed,
a restricted, classified Request for Tender (RfT) would be issued a year later, from which a Platform Systems Integrator (PSI) would be selected to take charge of the en- tire program. Initial Operating Capability (IOC) was planned for the mid-2020s.
Operational concept documents had already been developed and an unclassified version would be placed in due course on AusTender to better prepare industry’s input to the RfP.
While the development of requirements was “pretty solid”, Navy would not be averse
JULIAN KERR | SYDNEY
Changes in the structure
of Project Sea 129 Phase 5 make it increasingly likely that a common tactical unmanned aircraft system (UAS) will be selected
to operate both from the upcoming Arafura offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and the Hunter-class future frigates.
22 | May 2019 | www.australiandefence.com.au
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