The Barracuda UAV
The most important technology for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) operating in non-segregated airspace (in which manned and even civilian aircraft would be encountered) is "sense and avoid" technology. This would allow the UAV to detect and avoid other aircraft. So pointed out Airbus Defence and Space VP and head of disruptive innovation Jan van Toor at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's fifth conference, in Pretoria, on Friday. (Airbus Defence and Space is a part of the Airbus Group and a sister company to airliner manufacturer Airbus.)
Airbus generally divides UAVs into five groups. Tactical UAVs, medium altitude and long endurance (MALE) UAVs, high-altitude and long endurance (known as HALE) UAVs, weaponised MALE UAVs (not able to operate in defended airspace) and long range combat UAVs (or unmanned combat air vehicles – UCAVs – which are able to operate in defended airspace).
But there is also a specialised type of very high altitude UAV, which Airbus categorises as high altitude pseudo satellites (Haps). "Airbus has bought Qinetiq's Zephyr programme," he noted. (Qineteq is a British high-technology development company.) The Zephyr programme has developed a series of solar-powered ultra-light UAVs for very long endurance missions in the stratosphere, that could last for months, even years.
Zephyr UAVs or Haps provide a low cost alternative to satellites and can provide sustained local and even regional coverage. They have a high degree of role flexibility and can, for example, be configured for communications relay or surveillance missions.
Regarding more conventional UAVs, Airbus has developed the Barracuda project. This is a demonstrator for a fast surveillance UAV and the programme was launched in 2003. The Barracuda UAV is more than 8 m in length, has a wingspan exceeding 7 m and a maximum take-off weight of some 3 t.
The Barracuda is fully-automatic in flight but is not autonomous. "The flight is pre-programmed," explained Van Toor. The UAV is fitted with a number of cameras to observe the aircraft's performance and flight, including the operation of key systems such as the undercarriage. "You need a lot of sensors onboard, to make sure the aircraft is performing well," he observed. These are in addition to the mission sensor payload.
Airbus now wants to test the Barracuda with weapons. But Van Toor admitted that any production derivative of the Barracuda would be late to the market.