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though as yet none have fielded an Zephyr 7 holds the UAV endurance Members of 20th Surveillance “We have been full on our
operational resupply or casevac UAV. record, staying up for more than 336 and Target Acquisition Regiment recruiting quotas to be a drone
“We are a little behind our hours in July 2010. Theoretically, with a Shadow 200 and Tiger operator for the last three years. The
allied friends but we are very much Zephyr could remain aloft almost Armed Reconnaissance potential is going to expand. We have
exploring the concept,” he said. indefinitely. Helicopters. The Army reports the UAS Regiment in Brisbane that
In the event of a conflict involving LTCOL Joyce said DST was no issues in being able to flies Shadow and they do it 365 days a
major powers, each will try to deny the doing some work with Airbus on this recruit future drone operators. year,” he said.
other their space-enabling capabilities capability. defence However, there will be a time when
such as the US GPS, the Russian “We are the service sponsor for it will need many more – and it always
equivalent GLONASS and the Chinese that project. We have written the user needs those with technical skills –
BeiDou. statement that says we think that and where else to look for motivated,
“One of the challenges in a future something like this could be used skilled individuals than in the ranks of
battlefield is RF denial. If somebody is for maybe these missions. It’s about civilian drone enthusiasts.
blocking your access to satellites, then precision nav and timing, comms, data To tap this resource, the Army
you want to be able to use a pseudo and imagery which would normally has started a drone racing outreach
satellite navigation, surveillance, be provided by satellite but maybe we program based around the Australian
comms or data network,” LTCOL don’t have access to them,” he said. Army Drone Racing Team whose
Joyce said. “We think it has a part to play in members participate in regular
One possibility is to use a the future battlefield.” competitions conducted under the
special UAV which can circle high Airbus announced in June that umbrella of the Model Aeronautical
over the battlefield, providing the Wyndham, Western Australia would Association of Australia (MAAA).
absent navigation, observation and be its primary Zephyr flight test LTCOL Joyce said those who raced
communication capabilities. centre for its High Altitude Pseudo drones didn’t go to school or TAFE to
Such an aircraft already exists in Satellites (HAPS) program, with trials learn how to build their drones.
experimental form, the Airbus Zephyr, starting in the second half of this year. “They watch YouTube videos. They
a 22.5 metre wing span 53 kilogram Wyndham was chosen because of do it at home,” he said.
solar-powered UAV, able to fly as high its reliable weather and unrestricted Systems like the Airbus Zephyr “They don’t need a workshop,
as 70,000 feet with a five kilogram airspace. could be used as part of a they buy in their parts, they teach
payload. This was originally developed The Army has experienced no pseudo satellite navigation, themselves how to solder, how to code,
by UK firm QinetiQ, with the system problems at all recruiting all the UAV surveillance, comms or data they teach themselves mechanics,
sold to Airbus in 2013. operators it needs to fill current billets. network. airbus controls and datalinks and at the
end of the weekend after they have
shot some great video, they cut them
into a video and turn themselves into
multi-media technicians.”
LTCOL Joyce said all those skills
were employable across a wide variety
of Army trades.
“We want these people to see that
drone racing is something they can
do in the Army. We will even support
them doing it,” he said.
“You don’t have to play rugby
or cricket to be a sportsman in the
Army,” he said.
“It’s not the Anzac Army any more.
You don’t join the Army to march,
shoot a rifle and ride a horse and
maybe play some rugby. The modern
Army is very different.”
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