SA unmanned air-vehicle programme set for take-off
By: Keith Campbell
Published: 11 Jul 08 - 0:00
TRANSATLANTIC PROJECT? Two-view computer-generated profile of the Bateleur
South Africa's Denel Dynamics' Bateleur medium-altitude long-endurance(MALE) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) project looks set to be developed as a joint programme with Brazil. And, in a purely national programme, the company is also developing a new version of its Seeker tactical UAV.
Negotiations with Brazil regarding the Bateleur project are already under way, confirms Brazilian Air Force Colonel Nelson Silveira. Colonel Silveira is the Brazilian project officer on the joint South African/Brazilian A-Darter programme - the A-Darter is a fifth generation infrared homing air-to-air missile. He reveals that a memorandum of understanding on cooperation on UAVs was signed between the two countries a year ago.
An initial South African proposal regarding the Bateleur was made to the commander of the Brazilian Air Force in mid-May. The Brazilians are expecting to receive a full proposal, including timeframes and cost estimates, from South Africa in the near future.
This joint UAV project would be modelled on the current joint A-Darter project, which is proving highly successful. Should the project go ahead, as both sides hope, the Bateleur would be acquired by the Brazilian Air Force. It is not yet clear what arm or arms of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) would buy the Bateleur. The South African Air Force has a plan to acquire MALE UAVs, perhaps starting in 2010.
Furthermore, the South African Navy is known to be interested in the Bateleur.
The Bateleur concept was developed by Denel four years ago, with a mock-up first displayed in public at the Africa Aerospace and Defence exhibition in Pretoria in 2004.
Then, the company hoped that the UAV would make its first flight in the first half of 2006, but development stalled as a result of a lack of funding. Despite its promise, there was and is simply not the budget to develop the Bateleur as an exclusively South African programme. Finding a foreign partner willing to invest in the development of the aircraft became essential to get the project going again. Hence the importance of the talks with Brazil.
The original conception for the Bateleur included use of existing and proven systems and subsystems from Denel's Seeker II tactical UAV and Skua high-speed target drone, as well as commercial off-the-shelf equipment, in order to keep development costs down. For example, the idea was that the Bateleur would use the same ground control station as the Seeker II. The original specification of the Bateleur included an endurance of 18 to 24 hours, an operational radius of up to 750 km, a maximum altitude above 8 000 m, a maximum cruise speed of 250 km/h, a minimum loiter speed of 120 km/h and a payload mass of 1 t. The UAV would be equipped with a satellite communications system, and would take-off and land on paved runways like a conventional aircraft, but automatically, and would be equipped with a retractable undercarriage. It was conceived to be of modular, composite, construction, and it would have (in its initial version) a wingspan of 15 m. The idea was that a Bateleur could be fitted into a 6 m ISO container.
It is not known how many of these original ideas are, or will remain, valid - for example, a retractable undercarriage adds weight, expense, and complexity, although it should reduce the UAV's radar signature; but is that gain worth the cost? Currently, the world's biggest operational users of UAVs - the Americans, British, and Israelis - are perfectly happy with MALE UAVs with fixed undercarriages; retractable undercarriages are generally confined to high altitude, and to stealth, UAV projects.
Regarding the Seeker tactical UAV, the new model is designated the Seeker 400, and its capabilities will be a considerable advance over those of the current production model, the Seeker II. A foreign country has already expressed its interest in acquiring a the Seeker 400.
To minimise the development risk of the programme, the Seeker 400 uses the same avionics and ground station as the Seeker II. However, while the Seeker II has an endurance of ten hours, the Seeker 400 increases this by six hours to a total of 16 hours. The new model of the Seeker also has the ability to carry more than one payload at the same time, while the Seeker II can carry only one at a time. The Seeker 400 will also be equipped with an aviation-certified engine, with reduced noise levels, that would be manufactured in South Africa. In fact, a key concept underlying the entire programme is that nearly all the components and systems be built in South Africa.
There is currently no indication that the Seeker 400 will be acquired by the SANDF, but like its predecessor, the Seeker II, it will probably be produced for export markets. The Seeker II has proved most successful in the service of overseas clients.
Edited by: Martin Zhuwakinyu