Thales UK is pleased to announce that the WATCHKEEPER unmanned air system (UAS) successfully completed a key set of inaugural flights in June 2009, which will allow the system to progress to a series of ground system and flight trials in the UK.
These will take place at Parc Aberporth in West Wales and will start in late 2009. The necessary infrastructure and facilities at Parc Aberporth are ready and in place, and the WATCHKEEPER programme will now begin the transfer to the UK.
The flight trials undertaken in June represent a significant technical achievement for the WATCHKEEPER programme, with all elements of the system and sub-system being demonstrated to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), including:
- Full air vehicle system
- WATCHKEEPER data links
- Radar controlled Automatic Take-Off and Landing System (ATOLS)
- Electro Optic (EO) / Infrared (IR) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) / Ground
- Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) Radar payloads
- Ground control station software
- Autonomous Systems Flight Control and Video Imagery downlink
In parallel to the flight trials, work continues with the development of payloads, software, flight management and ground infrastructure systems.
Also, flight trials have taken place from a semi-prepared landing strip with rough ground and obstacles, demonstrating an ability to operate from open fields with minimum preparation. This is an important operational capability as the WATCHKEEPER system is not restricted to conventional airfields.
Alex Dorrian, Thales UK’s CEO, says: “This is another landmark achievement for the WATCHKEEPER programme and just one of a number of trials that are scheduled over the coming months. We have made good progress following the WATCHKEEPER maiden flight on 16 April 2008 and obviously our intention is to continue working closely with the UAS Project Team and our partners in delivering the next phase of the programme.”
WATCHKEEPER will provide the UK armed forces with an essential Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) capability and will be a key component of the UK’s network enabled capability (NEC). Thales UK, as Prime Contractor for the WATCHKEEPER programme, will deliver equipment, training and facilities, with the capability planned to enter service from late 2010.
Production of the WATCHKEEPER system will take place at U-TacS (UAV Tactical Systems Ltd), the Thales UK and Elbit Systems joint company, based in Leicester.
Thales is a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Space, Defence, Security and Transportation markets. In 2008 the company generated revenues of £10.2 billion, with 68,000 employees in 50 countries. With its 25,000 engineers and researchers, Thales has a unique capability to design, develop and deploy equipment, systems and services that meet the most complex security requirements. Thales UK employs 8,500 staff based at more than 40 locations. In 2008 Thales UK’s revenues were over £1.4 bn.
