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IHS Janes All the Worlds Aircraft: Unmanned

Mark Daly

April 2013

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1. TypeClose-range/short-range intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and

reconnaissance (ISTAR) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

2. DevelopmentStudies of UAVs to meet land commanders tactical reconnaissance requirements

after the BAE Systems Phoenix retires were approved by the UK MoD in June 1998,

and were allocated the programme names Sender and Spectator. The risk reduction

phase was handled for DPA by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA,

now QinetiQ) at Farnborough.

Four teams bidding for the Sender programme were shortlisted in the second

quarter of 2000, and were then asked to study possible extrapolation of their

proposals to encompass the Spectator requirement as well. The new combined

requirement was given the programme name Watchkeeper. Industry spokespersons

subsequently indicated that Watchkeeper could result in an acquisition of a range of

assets, possibly including high- and medium-altitude air vehicles and some with

maritime capability. Sender entered Assessment Stage 1 in May 2000 with the

selection of four teams, led by BAE Systems, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman

and Thales, to submit their proposals in June 2001 to meet the MoDs ISTAR

capability requirement. See earlier editions for details of these team members.

Contracts worth GBP3.1 million (USD4.3 million) to each of the four team leaders

followed in September 2000, to deliver one-year, risk-reduction assessment phase

studies to the MoD in 2001.

Assessment Stage 1 ended in September 2001, and was followed by six-month (from

November 2001) study contracts leading to a 12- to 18-month Systems Integration

and Assurance Phase (SIAP) stage starting in the second quarter of 2002. Bids by the

four teams, whose composition had by then undergone some changes, were

submitted by the 14 March 2002 deadline and followed by formal presentations tothe DPA on 14 June. Acceleration of the programme was announced by the MoD in

July, and down-selection to two semi-finalists was then expected in late August

2002. However, announcement of the choice of these did not occur until 7 February

2003, when it was revealed that the Northrop Grumman and Thales UK teams had

been selected to proceed to the next stage. Make-up of these teams then

underwent further changes.

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A Joint Services Trials Unit (JSTU) was created in 2003, comprising No 32 Regiment

Royal Artillery, No 792 Squadron Royal Navy and No 100 Squadron Royal Air Force.

The SIAP semi-finalist teams delivered their technical submissions to the DPA on 18

December 2003. Their responses to the Invitation To Tender (ITT) were followed by

operational capability assessment (OCA) flight demonstrations at the QinetiQAberporth range in March 2004.

Watchkeeper requirements include ability to work within the British Armys

Bowman communications network; interoperability with the services Apache attack

helicopters and the RAFs ASTOR surveillance aircraft, and 100 per cent offset

manufacturing in the UK of the chosen system. According to the MoD in February

2003, programme cost is in the region of GBP800 million, and the winning system is

expected to have an in-service life of some 30 years.

The Thales team was selected as preferred bidder on 20 July 2004. Negotiationsbegan immediately, with the object of achieving IOC from around the end of 2006

and full operational capability in 2007. A GBP6 million interim contract was awarded

to the Thales team in January 2005, ahead of the so-called main gate award, which

was received six months later. Announcement of the latter, however, indicated that

the service entry date for Watchkeeper had been postponed to 2010. In the

immediate future, Watchkeeper is now in the demonstration and manufacturing

phase, for which Thales and Elbit formed a joint venture company, U-TacS (UAV

Tactical Systems Ltd), with a manufacturing facility at Leicester, UK, to achieve the

necessary transfer of technology. First flight in the UK of a Hermes 450 developmentprototype took place at Parc Aberporth in early September 2006, with a 5-hour, first

full flight following on 7th of that month. The first flight of Watchkeeper took place

at Megido, northern Israel, on 16 April 2008. In July automated take-off and landing

flights using Thaless MAGIC ATOLS were performed and validated in the presence of

the UK Ministry of Defence at Megido.

Trials in Israel were completed in June 2009, and the Watchkeeper programme

moved to Parc Aberporth in West Wales for further flight trials and ground systems

tests. Watchkeepers first UK flight took place on 14 April 2010 from Parc Aberporth.

During 2010 the Watchkeeper training centre was scheduled to start operations at

Larkhill, Salisbury, where the simulator is based. The UK MoD awarded Thales the

initial three-year support contract for the Watchkeeper programme in April 2010.

Two air vehicles were taking part in the test programme in 2011 and 400 hours had

been accumulated in 270 flights in Israel and the UK, and the first operational

deployment to Afghanistan was planned at the end of the year.



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3. DescriptionAirframe

High-aspect ratio high-wing monoplane with turned-down tips and single tail-

mounted engine, V tail unit (included angle 100) and non-retractable tricycle

landing gear. Construction is of composites. APPH nosewheel unit.

Mission payloads

Fully stabilised EO/IR (Elop CoMPASS) and SAR sensors (Thales I-Master SAR/GMTI).

Laser target marketing, ranging and designation. VHF/UHF and GSM

communications rebroadcast. Options include communications EW/comint and

counter IED payloads. Extended endurance fuel tanks can be fitted.

Guidance and control

Intended to be compatible with British Army Bowman system. Cubic Defense

Applications received a USD52 million contract in 2006 to develop an advanced

datalink that will incorporate both tactical common datalink (TCDL) and high

integrity datalink (HIDL) features. Under subcontract to Cubic, Ultra Electronics will

assist in this development. In January 2007, Athena Technologies GuideStar

combined INS/GPS and air data sensor suite was chosen for Watchkeeper.

Launch

Conventional and automatic wheeled take-off.

Recovery

Conventional and automatic wheeled landing.



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4. SpecificationsDimensions, External

Overall

length: 6.10 m (20 ft 0 in)height: 2.37 m (7 ft 9 in)

Fuselage

width: 0.52 m (1 ft 8 in)

Wings

wing span: 10.51 m (34 ft 5 in)

wing chord: 0.69 m (2 ft 3 in) [constant]

Tailplane

tailplane span: 2.95 m (9 ft 8 in)

Wheels

wheel track: 1.45 m (4 ft 9 in)

Dimensions, Internal

Payload bay

volume: 0.30 m (10.6 cu ft) [Hermes 450]

Areas

Wings

Gross wing area: 6.90 m (74.3 sq ft)

Weights and Loadings

Weight

Weight empty: 200 kg (440 lb) [Hermes 450]

Max T-O weight: 450 kg (992 lb) [Hermes 450]

Fuel weightMax fuel weight: 105 kg (231 lb) [usable, Hermes 450]

Payload

Max payload: 150 kg (330 lb) [Hermes 450]

120 kg (264 lb) [with satcom antenna, Hermes 450]

Performance

T-O

T-O run: 350 m (1,149 ft)

Climb

Rate of climb: 274 m/min (900 ft/min) [max, at S/L]

Altitude

Operating altitude: 5,485 m (18,000 ft) [max]

Speed

Max level speed: 95 kt (176 km/h; 109 mph)

Cruising speed: 70 kt (130 km/h; 81 mph)

Stalling speed: 42 kt (78 km/h; 49 mph)

Radius of operation: 108 n miles (200 km; 124 miles) [Hermes 450]

Endurance: 20 hr [Hermes 450]



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5. Status & CustomersDemonstration and manufacturing phase, followed by test and evaluation towards

an initial operational capability in 2011-2012. Intended for British Army. Some 54

Watchkeeper air vehicles are on order.

6. ContractorU-TacS (UAV Tactical Systems Ltd) Thales UK and Elbit Systems (joint company),

UK.

U-TacS (Thales UK and Elbit Systems): WK450 air vehicle and subsystems

UEL: Air vehicle design and engines

LogicaCMG: Command and battlespace management

systems and applications

Cubic Defense Applications: Datalinks

Vega Group: Training

Marshall Specialist Vehicles: GCS shelters and support

QinetiQ: Airworthiness consultancy and image

data management

Praxis Critical Systems: Programme safety consultancy

This IHS Janes Defence Equipment & Technology reference record is taken

fromIHS Janes All the Worlds Aircraft: Unmanned.

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About IHS

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