ISTAR 06

Supplementary memorandum from the Ministry of Defence

In recent years, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems[1] have emerged as an important means of collecting Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaisance (ISTAR) information. They have become increasingly capable and, compared to manned platforms, are well suited to missions that are, for example, dangerous, monotonous or require very long endurance (the four Ds - dangerous, dirty, dull and deep). They are therefore often seen, when equipped with Full Motion Video (FMV) and in some cases radar and other sensors, as the right solution to ISTAR collection requirements at the Theatre/Operational, Formation/ Higher Tactical, and Lower Tactical levels. The MoD Equipment Capability Customer is sponsoring a UAV capability investigation in collaboration with industry which will seek to establish the military requirement for UAVs out to the early 2020s and define how this could best be delivered. Additionally, this work will identify strategies in key areas such as spectrum management and airspace access to ensure that the equipment delivered can be fielded in the UK and on operations.

It is important to remember that UAV systems are one possible solution to the collection part of the ISTAR capability construct explained in the MOD Memorandum submitted in February 2008. To recap, the collection side aims to provide capabilities that can gather accurate and timely information across the environments and can detect, track, and identify enemy, neutral and friendly entities within a defined area, day and night, and in all weathers. The direction, processing and dissemination side aims to provide capabilities that can direct collection effort and then process and disseminate derived information and intelligence to all levels in national and coalition operations. As noted in the previous Memorandum, the emphasis of current and future ISTAR development is on improving the way the collection of information and intelligence is directed and the resulting data processed and disseminated.

UAV Systems Currently Operated by the Armed Forces[2]

The following UAV systems are being operated at present:

Reaper (formerly Predator B). This Theatre/Operational level UAV system came into service in autumn 2007 to meet an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) for persistent ISTAR in Afghanistan. Reaper is a large UAV weighing about 4,500kg and with a wingspan of 20m. It carries a FMV sensor and a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) capability. It also carries a laser range finder and designator. It has an operational endurance of approximately 16 hours[3], and can fly at up to about 240 knots. UK military personnel[4] fly the mission using beyond-line-of-sight satellite communications operating from a Ground Control Station (GCS) at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada USA. Take-off and landing of the UAVs in theatre is accomplished by a launch and recovery element manned by a mix of US and UK military personnel using line-of-sight communications. A total of two air vehicles and one GCS have been deployed to Afghanistan. A thirdUAV is due to be delivered in mid 2008 and a second GCS later in 2008. Planned enhancements include electronic surveillance and weaponisation of the UAV with multiple Hellfire missiles and GBU 12 precision guided bombs to improve prosecution of time-sensitive targets.

Combined Joint PREDATOR Task Force (CJTPF). The UK also supports the operation of US-owned Predator-A UAVs by providing military operators and ground engineers to the US-led CJTPF. Most of the personnel are from the RAF. The commitment of personnel to the CJPTF is being progressively wound down during 2008 in agreement with the US as the UK focus shifts to the operation of the UK Reaper systems.

Hermes 450. A Formation/Higher Tactical level UAV capability was procured as a UOR and entered service from July 2007. The capability is provided as a service by Thales UK using the Hermes 450 UAV system. The air vehicle is launched by a contractor-provided external pilot and operated throughout the mission phase by Royal Artillery personnel, with control handed back to the contractor for the recovery and landing. Servicing and support are the contractor's responsibility. Hermes 450 is a medium-sized UAV that weighs about 450kg and has a wingspan of about 10.5m. It has an endurance of around 14 hours, but must remain in radio line-of-sight of the GCS. It operates at slower speeds and lower altitudes than Reaper. Up to 10 air vehicles and 6 GCS are being used, providing FMV ISTAR support in Iraq and Afghanistan with two concurrent missions possible in both theatres.

Desert Hawk 3. DH3 is a Lower Tactical level UAV system procured under UOR procedures in 2007. It is a hand-launched system that has an endurance of around 60 minutes. A total of 18 systems (144 air vehicles and 18 GCS) have been deployed in both Iraq and Afghanistan providing FMV ISTAR support to Battlegroup operations and below. The capability is operated by Royal Artillery personnel embedded in Battlegroups. A further five systems are being procured.

Buster. Buster was initially acquired for trials during early MOD investigation of mini-UAVs. The system did not meet operational requirements but after an upgrade was deemed satisfactory to support pre-deployment training. While less capable as an ISTAR platform than operational systems, Buster provides a limited UAV FMV capability, essentially simulating Hermes 450 and Desert Hawk systems on exercises.

As noted in the opening paragraph of this memorandum, UAV operations involve a degree of risk to the air vehicle and while operational procedures are aimed at minimising the loss rate, some losses can be expected. For example, on 9 April 2008 Reaper air vehicle made a forced landing whilst on an operation over a remote unpopulated area of southern Afghanistan. Sensitive items were recovered and the remaining wreckage was destroyed. The reason for the forced landing is under investigation but mechanical issues are suspected. The Department is seeking to replace the UAV. In Iraq, a Hermes 450 air vehicle crashed during an attempted landing in difficult weather conditions in January 2008. As at the end of February 2008, some 27 hand-launched mini-UAVs (Desert Hawk) had been lost over the previous 12 months. The Department is drawing the lessons from such incidents to add to its growing knowledge about UAV operations.

UAVs Currently in the Process of Being Acquired

WATCHKEEPER. The only Defence funded programme to field an operational UAV capability is for the WATCHKEEPER tactical UAV system. Main Gate approval was given in mid-2005. WATCHKEEPER is currently expected to reach Initial Operating Capability in the second half of 2010 and to reach Full Operating Capability in 2013. The system is being developed from the Hermes 450 system currently operating in Iraq and Afghanistan. The programme is due to deliver (including attrition stock) 54 air vehicles and 15 GCS and will provide the capacity to conduct up to 12 concurrent missions (or "lines of tasking"). It will be operated by 32 Regiment Royal Artillery. WATCHKEEPER is intended to support Land operations and is capable of carrying simultaneously three types of sensor: electro optical/infra-red FMV; SAR; and GMTI. In addition, it will carry a laser rangefinder/target marker. It will have UK-specific data links, have an automatic take off and landing capability and be able to use tactical landing strips. Overall, WATCHKEEPER provides greater capability compared to Hermes 450 and, subject to operational circumstances at the time, the intention is that it will start to take over from Hermes 450 from 2010.

As noted in the previous Memorandum, the DABINETT programme includes provision to improve deep and persistent ISTAR collection capability. The deep and persistent capability is likely to be a system-of-systems incorporating UAVs. However, the programme is pre-main gate and is currently exploring several ways of meeting the requirement. No decisions have been made on platform type.

Direction, Processing and Dissemination of Information and Intelligence from Current UAVs.

At the Theatre/Operational level in Afghanistan where Reaper operates, overall command is vested in Commander Joint Operations (CJO) at the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) at Northwood, with control delegated to the coalition Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) in Al Udeid, Qatar. Reaper capability is made available to International Security and Assistance Force (ISAF) as a coalition asset in support of both UK and Coalition forces with tasking coordinated through coalition HQ in Kabul based on PJHQ/CENTCOM guidance. Reaper FMV imagery is down-linked to UK troops on the ground using Remote Viewing Terminals (RVT) such as ROVER to provide them with immediate situational awareness. FMV and radar data is down-linked to in-theatre forces and image analysts in the GCS who conduct an initial analysis and provide immediate intelligence support to troops on the ground and to the tasking headquarters. Subsequent imagery analysis can be conducted by personnel at the GCS post-flight or in the coalition Intelligence Fusion Centre.

At the Formation/Higher Tactical level, where Hermes 450 provides an organic ISTAR asset supporting UK forces, overall command is vested in CJO at PJHQ, with control delegated to in-theatre Brigade Commanders. Tasking is coordinated through the Brigade or Battlegroup ISTAR cell and UAV tactical groups, with airspace co-ordination through the CAOC. The information and intelligence collected by Hermes 450 is currently being used in direct and immediate support of ground operations so there is only a limited requirement for processing and dissemination. Real-time FMV imagery is down-linked to the GCS and to RVT to provide immediate situational awareness. Initial analysis of the FMV is conducted by image analysts in the GCS and at Brigade Headquarters. Time critical intelligence derived from the FMV is distributed by voice to users without RVT access. Secondary exploitation of the FMV is conducted at the GCS or Brigade Headquarters and is distributed as required using the existing in-theatre communications infrastructure. Each Hermes 450 mission FMV is archived on DVD providing a limited capability to retrieve imagery for subsequent in-depth analysis.

At the Lower Tactical level, Desert Hawk is an organic ISTAR asset that provides dedicated support to UK forces. Like Hermes 450, overall command is vested in CJO at PJHQ, with control delegated to in-theatre Brigade Commanders, who may delegate to lower levels. Tasking of these assets is coordinated through the Brigade or Battlegroup ISTAR cell and UAV tactical groups. The information and intelligence collected by Desert Hawk is being used in direct and immediate support of ground operations so there is only a limited requirement for processing and dissemination. FMV imagery is down-linked to the mobile GCS and RVT, with initial analysis conducted by the operators or by Battlegroup intelligence staff at the GCS. The opportunities to store and retrieve Desert Hawk FMV for subsequent in depth analysis are very limited and is currently reliant on the transfer of data by CD to in-theatre image analysts.

Exploiting the Information and Intelligence Collected by UAVs

Current UAV capability is all procured under UOR arrangements and is proving very effective at providing troops on the ground in current operations with the real time imagery and enhanced situational awareness they need. Each system currently relies on dedicated GCS, communications and availability of compatible RVTs. The Department is looking to build on the successful, delivered capability and improve the exploitation of the information and intelligence collected by UAVs on current operations by improving connectivity between separate systems. This would optimise collection time and enable maximum analyst and end user access to information and intelligence, so improving timely exploitation of actionable intelligence and operational effectiveness. We are pursuing measures to provide a capability that specifically seeks to improve the processing and dissemination of all imagery (including FMV) gathered in support of operations, including that collected by UAVs. In addition, the Equipment Capability Customer is sponsoring a capability investigation into FMV coherence. This is seeking to identify improvements across all Defence Lines of Development in the direction, processing and dissemination of FMV products that can be quickly implemented on current operations.

For the longer term the Equipment Capability Customer has challenged UK industry to develop a common RVT that is able to accept an FMV feed from any UAV system. Work is also in hand to ensure that WATCHKEEPER is compatible with other UAV systems. The DABINETT programme is aiming to develop the coherence and networking of ISTAR assets across Defence, including UAVs. The planned delivery of an updated above Secret communications network will improve both the ability to exploit ISTAR capabilities and the subsequent dissemination of the derived intelligence.

We need to improve our ability to tag, store and retrieve data and to conduct more detailed secondary and tertiary analysis of the imagery. Such a capability would increase our ability to conduct pattern of life analysis, employ change detection techniques and provide imagery for evidential purposes. We are aiming to develop an archival, retrieval and dissemination architecture for the Afghanistan theatre that will address some of the immediate issues. In the longer term, the DABINETT programme will also address the issue.

The significant growth in coalition use of FMV and SAR/GMTI both by UAVs and other air platforms is placing an increasing strain on communications bearers as the bandwidth requirements increase and as the electromagnetic spectrum becomes increasingly crowded. As part of wider work on future requirements for UAVs, spectrum management issues will be addressed to ensure that the equipment delivered can be fielded in the UK and on operations.

The increase in FMV collection assets in theatre has generated increased demand for imagery exploitation. This is being addressed through the provision of analysis training for FMV operators, which is expected to ameliorate this problem significantly.

Airspace and Air Traffic Control

Current national and international regulations require UAVs to comply with exactly the same 'Rules of the Air' as manned aircraft. In practice the requirement to see and avoid other air users cannot currently be satisfied by any unmanned platform and for this reason all UAV operations in the UK (civil and military) are restricted to segregated airspace; in practice this constrains MOD UAV flying to military danger areas. In Iraq and Afghanistan, the airspace is under coalition military control so UAVs can operate more freely, although their operations need to be carefully organised, for example through restricted operating zones and air traffic management. Defence is part of a wider initiative to review regulations for UAV flying. Under arrangements led by the Assistant Chief of the Air Staff, the MOD is closely involved with the development of procedures and regulations to allow UAVs to operate in national and NATO airspace. These collaborative efforts involve engagement with NATO, European Defence Agency and Civil Aviation Authority and are intended to form the basis for agreement to support global solutions for UAV systems.

The following are the main current actions by the Department to address the regulatory, technical and cultural challenges for training and operational employment:

� The MoD is engaging with a number of national and international organisations that are developing the 'Sense and Avoid' regulatory framework that will, in time, allow industry to develop technology that could allow UAVs to operate in non-segregated airspace.

� A small number of proposals to adjust current airspace arrangements are being taken forward through the civil authorities. The main one relates to an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) to increase the airspace available to UAVs around the Salisbury Plain Training Areas.

25 April 2008

[1] A UAV system consists of an air vehicle and associated payload (eg, sensors), communications, a control element often referred to as a Ground Control Station (GCS), support equipment and the human component which may include personnel such as the UAV-pilot, sensor operator, mission commander, maintainer and image analyst.

[2] The Phoenix tactical level UAV system operated by 32 Regiment Royal Artillery, the UK's first operational UAV, was taken out of service as planned on 31 March 2008.

[3] With crosswind limits and the lack of diversion ability of UAVs, operational flying is limited to around 11 hours so that 5 hours of fuel is kept in reserve in order to keep the UAV airborne if necessary.

[4] 39 Squadron RAF, working closely with Joint Force personnel in theatre.