NAVIES SURFACE INTEREST IN UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Unmanned systems manufacturers are finding a responsive market for their products among navies in the Indo-Pacific region.

- Tim Fish

The expanding use of unmanned systems by naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region is gathering pace. The ability of unmanned air (UAS), surface (USVs) and underwater (UUVs) or remotely operated or autonomous underwater vehicles (ROVs and AUVs) to provide a range of capabilities is being realised.

Some countries are investing heavily in unmanned platforms as a way of plugging a gap in Intelligence, Reconnaissance and Surveillance (ISR) or taking the man out of the minefield in mine countermeasure (MCM) operations. Meanwhile, others require unmanned systems to provide coverage over large expanses of maritime territory as a cheaper alternative to expensive manned assets.

The capability of the systems being acquired depends largely on available budgets. At one end of the scale Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have ordered the ScanEagle UAS from Boeing Insitu via a US Foreign Military Sale (FMS) request. Indonesia and the Philippines will get eight each, Malaysia 12, Vietnam six. It is unclear whether deliveries have been completed as Boeing and the US Navy refused to comment.

ScanEagle is a small fixed-wing UAS designed for long-endurance naval ISR operations with an assorted array of sensors and uses a catapult for launch and a pole for recovery. It has been in-service for some time with various militaries including the US Navy and is cheap, proven and a reliable option for smaller countries on limited budgets.

The Philippines Air Force is also acquiring nine Hermes 900 Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAS and three Hermes 450 tactical UAS from Israeli company IAI along with Skylark UAVs from Israel’s Elbit Systems. This will provide a much-needed boost in maritime ISR for the government in Manila.