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“Now instead of sending a soldier A 20th Surveillance and Target kilometres, though at that range, one outstanding UAS, the US AAI
down into an intersection, or over a Acquisition Regiment soldier there’s only about five minutes on RQ-7 Shadow 200, acquired in 2011
hill or into a treeline to have the first conducts preflight checks on a target. More realistic is 500 metres, and deployed straight to Afghanistan
look where it’s really dangerous, we Shadow 200 at Shoalwater Bay giving 10-15 minutes on station. where they flew 10,000 hours in
can send a flying robot,” he said. Training Area during Exercise The world’s best miniaturised support of Australian and coalition
“You can send a soldier to have a Hamel 2018. defence technology is expensive – the program operations.
look at something then wait for them cost for the 160 systems, plus training LTCOL Joyce said Shadow was
to come back and give a verbal brief and logistics support for four years, is a very reliable, very supportable
to the commander. Or you can fly this $18 million. awesome flying toolkit of options,
and the operator can stand next to Black Hornet comes in two carrying on every mission an electro-
their commander and say ‘is that what versions, one for day operations and optic camera with cooled infrared,
you wanted to see?’.” one for night. laser range finder, laser designator,
“You can do a 360 reconnaissance, “Right now to get these systems and a comms relay payload.
you can fly right down to look at a down into such a small form factor, “It offers a lot of tactical flexibility
car number plate. You can have a you have to make it day or night. If to the commander. With a 100
look into a window if you are about we want day and night that’s when we kilometre radius and nine hours
to assault a building,” LTCOL Joyce go to the next one up which is Wasp,” of endurance it provides persistent
continued. LTCOL Joyce said. surveillance options for the Brigade
“If this saves just one Australian The AeroVironment Wasp is a fixed Commander,” he said.
soldier from getting shot in an wing 72 centimetre wing span UAV But Shadow is sizeable, with a
intersection or cresting a hill or which carries a single stabilised day/ six metre wing span, requiring a 125
going down a creek line or entering a night camera, able to fly out to five metre runway, which provides some
building, that is a golden investment. kilometres and remain on station for tactical constraints.
We think it will save many many more 45 minutes. LTCOL Joyce said at the time,
soldiers than just one.” Wasps are now in service in Shadow was the only mature tactical
LTCOL Joyce said these would SOCOMD and 7 Brigade, with rollout UAS available for purchase.
certainly have been useful in to the rest of the Army to continue “It was a great partnership with the
Afghanistan. over the next three years. US Army. The US has 115 systems. We
“It is only the last couple of years ‘It offers a When that rollout is complete, have two,” he said.
that the technology has matured. The every combat team commander down Each system comprises two
reason it is so mature is because the lot of tactical to company level, whether in special ground control stations, enabling
British army had the foresight and forces, infantry or cavalry, will have infrastructure and four-five aircraft.
five-six years ago they made a very flexibility use of a Wasp and three Black Hornet To deal with attrition, Australia
large order and sent it straight to systems. bought a total of 18 aircraft.
Afghanistan,” he said. to the “We are really equipping those As good as Shadow has proved to
Black Hornet was developed by combat teams with the best technology be, it’s getting old and is now halfway
Norwegian firm Prox Dynamics, commander.’ in the world right now,” LTCOL Joyce through life of type. As well, payload
now part of US company FLIR. said. capability has vastly improved.
Its maximum radius is about two LTCOL KEIRIN JOYCE The Army is already equipped with So Army has launched a new

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