Unmanned aerial vehicles on the lookout over Iraq
27 Sep 07
British Army capabilities in southern Iraq were significantly boosted this summer when Hermes-450 (H450) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) began operating in the region.
Hermes-450 UAV
[Source:MOD]
The Hermes 450 Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicle is a highly capable and responsive Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance (ISTAR) asset. It acts as an 'eye in the sky' for our troops on the ground, providing the command with high-quality real-time imagery.
Hermes-450 was delivered into theatre by Thales UK and achieved through a partnership between the Defence Equipment & Support agency and Thales UK and its industrial partners, as well as 32 Regiment Royal Artillery and 1 Artillery Brigade.
The capability has been procured on a service provision basis such that Thales retains ownership of the equipment, which is operated and maintained by 32 Regiment Royal Artillery. Contractors on deployed operations, supplied by U-TacS (a joint Thales and Elbit company), are providing support in theatre.
The safety record of the H450 in theatre is first class. To date, all take offs and landings have been successful, and no air vehicles have been lost.
"This UAV system augments our current capability and will significantly increase the intelligence available for those members of our armed forces currently on deployment around the world."
DEC ISTAR spokesman
Drew Carmichael, special projects manager at DE&S, said:
"Delivering this complex capability has been an exciting challenge. The first in-theatre flight of H450 was conducted on June 14 and initial operating capability (IOC) was declared three weeks later.
"Since then it has been delivering an average of 14 hours ISTAR output a day and has already surged to provide 24-hours of coverage in one 25-hour period."
The equipment has now also been delivered to a second theatre and both will ramp up to a full operating capability by February 2008, providing almost continuous ISTAR support to theatre troops over a large area.
First impressions have been favourable and a DEC (ISTAR) spokesman said:
"This UAV system augments our current capability and will significantly increase the intelligence available for those members of our armed forces currently on deployment around the world."