STATE OF AUSTRALIA’S UNCREWED AERIAL SYSTEMS SECTOR

from WA DEFENCE REVIEW 2021-22 Annual Publication

LOOKING AFTER OUR DIGGERS, OLD AND YOUNG

By Greg Tyrrell,

Executive Director, Australian Association for Unmanned Systems

The Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) sector in Australia has made some significant leaps in the last 20 years and if you believe the hype, the next 20 years could be even more dramatic.

The Australian-designed and manufactured Aerosonde Hybrid Quad. © Textron Systems Australia.

GENESIS & GROWTH

Australia’s drone industry emerged in the mid-1990s on the back of advancements in microprocessors and GPS. Back then, systems were developed by adding these technologies to essentially model aircraft and were operated to capture data in dull, dirty and dangerous applications in remote areas away from people and air traffic. Safety regulations came along in 2002 with CASA developing Part 101 to address this emerging sector. Barrier to entry was high for industry participants and there was just a handful of operators

who obtained CASA certification to operate drones. When we think of drones today, we often think of light-weight, electrically powered multi-rotor systems that are relatively cheap but remarkably capable. The barrier to entry for budding commercial operators is much lower, the opportunities seemingly endless. Applications are infinite and with CASA approval can be close to cities and aerodromes. Today, there are over 2300 Today, there are over 2300 organisations operating organisations operating drones commercially with a remotely piloted aircraft operators’ certificate (ReOC) and over 21,000 drones commercially with individuals licensed to operate drones. a remotely piloted aircraft Further there are over 14,000 individuals who have passed through CASA’s accreditation process operators’ certificate and over for excluded category (non-ReOC) commercial drone 21,000 individuals licensed to operations. According to surveys run by the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems (AAUS), these operate drones. organisations are typically lean with less than 20 employees and operate multi-rotor drone systems

in the ‘very small’ and ‘small categories’. Main applications are infrastructure inspection, surveying, construction, mining and land management, and are serviced by small drones operating in lowrisk conditions within visual line of sight, below 400 ft and clear of populous areas. In addition, many organisations have emerged to support drone operations. Examples include those that specialise in training, regulatory compliance and, importantly, data exploitation. DEFENCE APPLICATION

The Australian Defence Force is without doubt our most sophisticated user of drone systems and will spend over $15bn on drone programs in the next 20 years. The Australian Army adopted drone capabilities in the early 2000s and today is using many different classes of drones from micro systems weighing less than 100g through to large tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).

The Royal Australian Air Force has two programs to acquire and operate Triton and Sky Guardian systems in the near future, while the Royal Australian Navy is also experimenting with ship-based systems and will look to acquire systems in the next five years. Unfortunately, many of these systems will have international heritage, but the programs will require significant Australian industry capability.

ECONOMIC IMPACT

According to a study conducted recently for the Australian government, the sector is projected to deliver a $14.5bn benefit to Australia’s gross domestic product and create 5500 jobs annually over the next 20 years. We should expect to see the emergence of drones that are more capable and able to operate more autonomously beyond visual line of sight (did anyone see the drone light display at the opening of the Tokyo Olympics?). We should also expect to see the evolution of this technology into transport systems capable of transferring people and cargo in urban and rural settings (advanced air mobility).

Drone technology is evolving quickly - we can touch it today. However, it is a digital technology that is not that compatible with existing aviation systems used for air traffic management. It appears that access to airspace and the development of a regulatory environment in which this technology can flourish is some time off. Australia is not unique in this respect and internationally the same challenges are being confronted. RISING TO THE OCCASION

If drone technologies are to fulfil their enormous promise, government needs to develop policy and regulatory settings to encourage investment. This is happening now, led by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, supported by CASA and Airservices Australia. Similarly, industry will need to rise to the occasion and make sure that future drone systems meet the high expectations of society with respect to safety, security, privacy and noise. It won’t be easy.

Swoop Aero’s next-generation RPA, the Kite TM, undergoing FAA Type Certification, © Swoop Aero.

By Luc Van Hoorick,

Director of XSun Australia Pty Ltd

XSUN: SOLAR POWERED UAVS FLY ALL DAY UNDER THE AUSTRALIAN SUN

XSun is a company that designs and manufactures new types of solar-powered UAVs using cutting edge aerospace technology, resulting in flight times up to 12 hours, with a range of up to 600km. Our UAV SolarXOne has a payload capacity of 5kg, allowing an extensive range of sensors to be installed, depending on the application. With such an impressive capability, the XSun UAV solution is autonomous, and energyindependent, for completely automated missions in diverse areas such as environment and civil safety, infrastructure and utilities networks mapping, law enforcement and military surveillance.

When picturing Australia you imagine its vastness and how the sun has shone down on it for millions of years. What if we could use that energy source to power a UAV that could fly for an entire day? In 2017, XSun’s aerospace engineers achieved that very goal by building a dual-wing aircraft using state-of–the-art technology in 3D aerodynamic design, with solarpowered systems. It is silent, it is sleek, and it can go further than any other UAV in its class, allowing its payload to be air-mobilised safely thanks to redundant navigation computers, sat-com back-up, and a parachute.

In addition to the incredible and continuing development seen since the first prototype was flown, another success of XSun’s UAV is that it has now reached commercial maturity in Europe. It’s utility has been recognised by all, from civilian customers who immediately saw the potential for acquiring imagery of large areas at very high resolution, to military users who see it as an ideal airborne surveillance platform that can provide high resolution video in a live feed, with tracking and targeting.

The flexibility of being able to swap various sensors is another bonus, because specialised sensors can sometimes be heavy. Other UAVs on the market are unable to cope with the weight or match the endurance that XSun offers. Those in the military community who have seen the SolarXOne in demonstrations confirm that the XSun UAV deserves the ‘fit-for-purpose’ label. From maritime and land surveillance, to airborne communications relay, or even dropping payloads, such as equipment or minidrones, it accomplishes all that it was designed for.

XSun is headquartered in France. The company is growing rapidly to become a major player in the solar/ electric UAV market, working in partnership with several major aerospace companies such as Dassault Systèmes (3DS), Airbus Group, and the ESA. In 2020, XSun was awarded the H2020 European Program – SME Instrument Phase 2. It works closely with the European Union, and civil aviation authorities, having achieved SORA certifications for Beyond Visual Line Of Sight (BVLOS) flight operations. In 2021, XSun Australia Pty Ltd was created, and the company is aiming to have Australian customers benefit from this new technology for BVLOS flight operations.

So what’s next for XSun Australia? Later this year, the company will be inaugurating its regional marketing campaign, with the XSun SolarXOne UAS to be flying demonstrations in 2022, after CASA certifications have been approved. Our business model and strategy are to offer a service-based solution with a focus on local expertise and support, self-sustainability for quick response to meet Australian customers’ expectations, and an R&D capability for future models.

XSun’s SolarXOne UAV can carry the Octopus ISR stabilised foursensor gimbal with MWIR. © Octopus.

F R O M A E R O S P A C E T E C H N O L O G Y A N D P O W E R E D B Y T H E S U N

1 2 H O U R S O F F L I G H T E N D U R A N C E 6 0 0 K M R A N G E F U L L Y A U T O N O M O U S S I L E N T U P T O 5 K G P A Y L O A D

By Dr Gregor Ferguson,

Contributing Defence Analyst

INNOVAERO POSITIONS ITSELF FOR THE LONG TERM

If you want to design a drone for the Australian Defence Force, you start by understanding what the users actually need and how they plan to use it. That’s exactly how Perth-based Innovaero has approached the development of its Fox Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

SECRET SAUCE

The Fox was designed by an ex-ADF team with the Royal Australian Navy’s $1.6bn maritime UAV project, SEA 129 Phase 5, in mind. The company understands intimately the job the UAV needs to do and how it will be used by the navy and employs six ex-ADF veterans out of 34 permanent staff.

Innovaero’s CEO, Simon Grosser, considers the company’s veterans, and its engagement with Indigenous business groups, part of its ‘secret sauce’. Airborne systems manager and Fox designer Adam Kelly, formerly a soldier in the Australian Army, says the ADF ingrains in its service personnel the values of teamwork and flexibility.

Further, it provides the ability to handle ambiguity and adversity, a pragmatic approach to problem solving, and what he terms “a sense of service and purpose” – in other words, the right attitude. The company has found that their veterans’ attitude, coupled with their highly specialised technical and cultural domain knowledge, is a powerful combination.

So is its relationship with the Indigenous Defence and Infrastructure Consortium (IDIC). As Simon Grosser notes, “a truly sovereign capability needs engagement with Indigenous partners.” Innovaero and IDIC have shared values and have begun identifying opportunities for collaboration with IDIC’s 100 plus members. IDIC’s aim, according to co-founder Adam Goodes, is to make it as easy as possible for defence companies to work with indigenous firms across everything from engineering and professional services, to infrastructure, construction, logistics and warehousing. COMPLEX SYSTEMS

The company’s goals are also aligned with those of the Australian Government. Innovaero intends to meet the Sovereign Industry Capability Priority (SICP) to deliver surveillance and intelligence data collection, analysis, dissemination and complex systems integration, based on a strong, sovereign engineering and manufacturing capability.

To that end it has invested in a unique team of aerospace design and airworthiness engineers. They are accredited to design and manufacture every aspect of aircraft, mission systems and propulsion systems, for domestic as well as international customers. The result is a technology-rich company capable

The InnovaeroFOX, Innovaero’s Maritime Unmanned Aerial System has been purpose-designed and built-in response to the Royal Australian Navy‘s call for a new generation of Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance capabilities. © Innovaero.

The Fox was designed by an ex-ADF team with the Royal Australian Navy’s $1.6bn maritime UAV project, SEA 129 Phase 5, in mind. The company understands intimately the job the UAV needs to do and how it will be used by the navy and employs six ex-ADF veterans out of 34 permanent staff.

of creating complex and advanced equipment, and integrating it into operational aircraft and UAVs.

Innovaero aims to keep ahead of the technology curve. In March 2021 it was shortlisted for a prestigious innovation award by the Australian Association for Unmanned Systems. In 2019 it won the Avalon Airshow Civil Innovation Award. This year in July, the firm impressed West Australian Governor, Kim Beazley AC, when he toured Innovaero’s new modern manufacturing premises. Governor Beazley, previously one of Australia’s most influential and industryaware Defence Ministers, observed, “We have, in Western Australia, people producing state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technologies that have both a substantial civilian and defence application. We have here a manufacturer of highly sophisticated drones that would be of enormous value to our defence forces, and a multiplicity of civilian capabilities as well.”

CONCEPT TO CREATION

Innovaero has been successful in both civil and defence markets. In 2007, founder and director Mike von Bertouch developed and then spun off Innovaero’s Nearmap aerial imagery system into a company now worth $1bn. More recently, he developed the very high resolution Spookfish aerial camera system, which was acquired by EagleView Australia for $140m.

In 2018, von Bertouch worked with Adam Kelly and a small team of veterans at a high-technology start-up, 5D Systems, on the initial design of the Fox UAV. The concept was promising, but start-ups lack money and engineering resources. Innovaero, though, had the resources, so acquired 5D and invested some $5m, taking the Fox design from concept to flight test.

Innovaero is eyeing several projects besides SEA 129 Phase 5 and needs to grow in order to pursue them. Organic growth is one option, but so are strategic relationships. In mid-2021 Innovaero signed a memorandum of agreement with Boeing subsidiary, Insitu Pacific, to support the development of Australian sovereign UAS technology, especially inter-operability and the development of a common operating system across multiple platforms. InSitu’s Scan Eagle UAV is already in operational service around the world and a contender for the early phase of SEA 129 Phase 5. Fox is designed for later phases so the synergies are powerful.