Issue 37 Unmanned Systems Technology April/May 2021 Einride next-gen Pod l Battery technology l Dive Technologies AUV-Kit l UGVs insight l Vanguard EFI/ETC vee twins l Icarus Swarms l Transponders l Sonobot 5 l IDEX 2021 report

94 Report | IDEX 2021 BAE Systems updated us on the latest developments of its most cutting- edge unmanned vehicle projects, which it showcased across IDEX 2021 (and the event’s marine-specific section, Navdex). The company is continuing development of its Phasa-35 solar- powered HALE UAS. The 150 kg aircraft is named for its 35 m wingspan, upon which multi-junction solar cells from MicroLink Devices are installed to power the craft for up to 365 days, at altitudes of up to 65,000 ft (19,800 m). “In October last year we completed critical soak trials to demonstrate the endurance of the systems under simulated flight conditions,” Andrea Kay told us. “Earlier this year, we also carried out structural qualification testing on the wing sections to confirm that the structure would perform as predicted when subjected to the operating environment.” The structural qualification testing was carried out by a team of engineers and technologists in Hampshire, England, at the facilities of BAE’s partner Prismatic (featured in UST 22, October/November 2018). “The long and lightweight aircraft structure is designed for optimal endurance in the stratosphere,” Kay added. “Given the demands of the harsh environment it has to survive – by a critical and sizeable safety margin – it has been quite a complex aerodynamic challenge. By drawing on BAE Systems engineers’ extensive experience in designing and producing military aircraft though, and combining that with the small-team agility that Prismatic brings, the testing was completed successfully.” BAE has also shipped two of the HALE craft from the UK to the US, with an eye on undertaking flight trials in the stratosphere later this year. Operations at this altitude are anticipated to enable great improvements in applications including the delivery of persistent ‘pattern of life’ ISR capabilities, 5G and other comms networks, as well as supporting disaster relief and border/ environmental monitoring. The company and the UK’s Royal Navy have also announced a £3.2 million autonomous boat contract for BAE’s Pacific 24 (P24), to enhance the navy’s operational capabilities and contribute to the safety of its crews. Operations for the P24 might include anti-piracy operations, border control, persistent intelligence gathering, maritime security and force protection, all while the boat is uncrewed. It has been procured under the Royal Navy’s autonomy and lethality accelerator programme, Navy X, which aims to deliver new technology to sailors and marines at an efficient pace. BAE Systems and the Navy X programme collaborated on the development of the first autonomous P24 and carried out a series of acceptance trials throughout 2020. The system was successfully launched at Portsmouth Harbour, in England, later in the year. The P24 is 7.8 m long and has a top speed of 47 knots, a typical range of 300 nautical miles (at an average operating speed of 30 knots) or a maximum range of 1200 nautical miles at 5 knots. It has an overall dry displacement of 3.8 t. It carries up to 600 litres of fuel and is powered by twin 370 bhp Volvo Penta D6 supercharged turbodiesel engines. Navigation makes use of GNSS, dual-range radar, EO cameras, depth sounders and several other systems. Its autonomy is designed with several key operational features including COLREG-compliant collision avoidance, geo-fencing and programmable behaviours if both its L-band and VHF data links are lost. Leonardo has been trialling its BriteCloud RF decoy system on unmanned aircraft including the General Atomics MQ-9. BriteCloud consists of rounds that are launched from conventional decoy dispensers. Two variants are available: BriteCloud 55, which is compatible with 55 mm-diameter dispensers and weighs 1.1 kg; and BriteCloud 218, which weighs 0.5 kg and fits in 2 x 1 x 8 in dispensers. The company told us it has successfully launched a number of rounds of the 218 variant from an MQ-9 in an aircraft survivability ‘carriage and release’ trial late last year, and discussions concerning further tests with live rounds are underway. April/May 2021 | Unmanned Systems Technology BAE Systems’ Phasa-35 HALE UAS has recently passed a series of critical tests