Page 22 - Australian Defence Mag Jul-Aug 2020

22 SURVEILLANCE IN LAND DOMAIN LAND 129
JULY/AUGUST 2020 | WWW.AUSTRALIANDEFENCE.COM.AU
Surveillance requires the ability to provide systematic observation of specified areas with multiple sensors, includ- ing visual, across the electro- magnetic spectrum. These sensors will enable operations by day, night, and in degraded visual environments.
“CONTENDERS HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THE RFT REFERS TO THE PREFERRED TENDERER FULFILLING THE ROLE OF PRIME SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR; ALSO THAT IT REFERS TO A SINGLE ACQUISITION AND SUSTAINMENT CONTRACT, ALTHOUGH RESERVING THE RIGHT TO SEPARATE THE TWO ELEMENTS.”
ments in Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles, and runway- independence.
Achieving and sustaining these effects will be the task of six TUAS capability bricks – two per battery.
Each brick is defined as the set of air vehicles, ground ele- ments and workforce required to provide 24/7 coverage of a
Target detection involves de-
tecting, recognising and iden-
tifying targets and disseminating accurate data from the ground control station (GCS) to targeting systems. The TUAS capability may also have the ability to disseminate target data to guide precision guided weapons from fixed wing platforms and indirect fire assets on to targets.
Enhanced lethality will utilise a laser target designator to provide target guidance for laser-guided munitions released from other armed platforms. Data link operability with the future Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) capability will enhance targeting information for future ARH crews via Manned-Unmanned Teaming.
Intelligence support will involve the TUAS sending in- formation that has undergone a level of forward technical analysis, from the GCS/Command and Control element to the Combat Brigade intelligence cell. This will reduce the volume of information being transmitted over various bear- ers and will require Intelligence Corps specialists to be em- bedded in the GCS together with analysis tools.
Providing timely and networked organic support to the Combat Brigade commander may include the provision of voice and/or data communications relay. This will require the GCS to move and operate with Combat Brigade ele-
single area of interest for 24 hours/day, and can be scaled up and down to meet the operational requirement.
Each capability brick will comprise a troop headquarters, an operations team, a forward repair team and a combat services support node. Each brick will be mounted in Bush- masters to provide mobility and protection commensurate with its supported dependencies.
According to the CASG brief, each capability brick will involve 30-35 personnel and must perform all-corps Army functions – defence, sustain (eat, sleep, move), communi- cate, command and control, and must also carry out other TUAS non-flying functions.
TUAS operators will be limited to 10 hours flying in a duty day, 45 hours flying in any seven-day period, 180 hours flying in any 30-day period, and 1,000 hours flying in any 12-month period.
Operators will have at least a 10-hour continuous rest period. Ten consecutive days of flying will be followed by a 24-hour continuous rest period.
ABOVE: Unusually, the Orbitor 4 UAV is catapult launched and recovered by parachute.
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