IAI’s I-View UAV Partners, Wins Australia’s JP129 Contract (updated)
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On Nov. 11, 2005, DID relayed a report from the Israeli newspaper Ha’aretz, which noted that Australia had purchased 18 Heron UAV systems. It was at about the right time for the JP129 program’s announcement, but a couple of our readers emailed us to wonder. DID attempted to check this out with the Australian government, Elbit, et. al., but received no replies. Recently, however, an official announcement re: the JP129 program has debunked the Ha’aretz report. Australia will have a new tactical UAV to go with the Israeli Skylark mini-UAV – and the new UAV will be Israeli as well. It will be the short-range IAI I-View (see also Defense Update profile), however, and not its Heron.
Australian Minister of Defence Senator Hill said the Government had agreed to the A$ 145 million (USD $109 million) UAV project to provide the Army with a high precision day and night surveillance and targeting capability with accompanying ground systems. Details regarding the winning UAV, and the other members of the competition, follow – including additional details re: the competitors that have just been provided to DID.
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The winning bid for Project 129 belonged to Boeing Australia & Israel Aircraft Industries’ I-View 250 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), which was chosen to provide airborne surveillance, reconnaissance, and target acquisition to support ADF land operations and work closely with Australia’s Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopters to support operations on the battlefield.
In discussing the I-View 250’s win, Sen. Hill mentioned value for money of course. He also said:
“The I-View has a fully automatic take-off and landing system that dramatically increases operational reliability. Its catapult launcher and unique parafoil landing concept enables it to be deployed and recovered from an uneven area smaller than a football field [DID: soccer to our American readers]. This capability, which includes real time video, will enable 24-hour surveillance for the protection of Australian forces as well as the identification of enemy targets…
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I-View also offers multiple EO/IR payload options with the option to fit a Synthetic Aperture (ground-looking) Radar; TCDL and EPLRS communications systems to ensure joint and coalition interoperability, and a highly advanced ground control station fitted to standard Army vehicles. Follow-on reports indicate that this combination of sensor flexibility, integration with Australia’s C4ISR systems via Boeing, and risk reduction at landing where many UAVs are lost, were instrumental in winning it the contract.
According to this article in The Australian, the I-View has a range of up to 80 km (about 50 miles), is able to stay airborne for up to 6 hours, and can carry loads of up to 30 kg (66 pounds).
The Israel Trade Commission was good enough to inform us recently that the competitive teams for the JP129 competition consisted of 3 partnerships:
- Boeing Australia in Brisbane teamed with Israeli UAV manufacturer Israel Aircraft Industries Malat in Tel Aviv to offer the latter’s I-View system. Australia proved to be the launch customer for the I-View 250 model, which shares some components with IAI’s long-range Heron, medium-range Hunter and short-range Searcher II.
- ADI in Sydney teamed with Elbit in Tel Aviv to offer a variant of the Watchkeeper 450 UAV chosen by the United Kingdom. Australia’s DMO eventually got back to DID, and added that Elbit has also offered the smaller Hermes 180 as an option. Elbit makes the Skylark mini-UAV which was recently selected for Australian service.
- BAE Systems Australia in Adelaide teamed with American firm AAI in Hunt Valley, MD to offer the Shadow 200 UAV, which is in U.S. Army service in Iraq.
- Australia’s DMO eventually got back to DID on Dec. 21, 2005, and added that SAGEM had offered its CU-161 Sperwer UAV, currently in service with Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The Sperwer is likely to exit service with Denmark soon, however, and Canada is crafting requirements for a potential replacement by 2010.
The first tactical UAVs were expected to be in operational service in 2008, but that date has slipped to late 2009 in the year between the announcement of Australia’s selection and the signing of the contract. Sen. Hill noted that tactically, the I-Views will complement the Australian Defence Force’s short-range Skylark UAVs that are being deployed to Iraq, and the High Altitude Long Endurance Maritime UAV that are to be purchased under Project Air 70001.
The new 132 Battery of the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment will operate the tactical UAVs at Gallipoli Barracks, Enoggera, in Queensland.
Boeing Australia will provide the through-life-support for the UAV systems, generating around 125 new jobs in the Brisbane area. In line with Australia’s Skilling Australia defense procurement strategy, a number of Australian small-to-medium enterprises and research institutions will assist.
Senator Hill also noted that Australia’s has further plans for UAVs. DID has mentioned Australia’s interest in using the RQ-4 Global Hawk as a maritime reconnaissance platform, Meanwhile:
“The Government is investing on more research and development of unmanned vehicle technology for use in future operations and for surveillance purposes. UAVs are an increasingly important part of the modern battlefield, particularly because they increase the troop’s ability to detect, respond and remain informed of activities across a wide area. This information can then be used to warn our troops and help them avoid potentially dangerous situations.”
UPDATE: The contract was formally signed with Boeing Australia in December 2006. See also Boeing release, and the IAI release.
Footnotes:
1 Project Air 7000 is Australia’s program to upgrade and complement its AP-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft so they can remain effective until a successor is introduced. The USA’s RQ-4 Global Hawk is widely expected to be Australia’s preferred choice; still, Australia’s innovative Coastwatch program could end up choosing the Predator-derived Mariner UAV, and thereby create an interesting competition with implications for the USA’s BAMS program.
(Originally published on December 14, 2005. Updated as a result of new information received from the Australian DMO.)
