Unmanned, at sea

ADF interest in a maritime UAS capability grows

The ADF has taken the first tentative steps towards the operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) aboard the Navy’s surface ships, with the release of a tender for companies to “register interest” in providing a naval UAS.

The tender, released on the AusTender website on May 22 calls for the UAS to be operated from Navy’s Armidale class patrol boats, presumably to provide an over-the-horizon surveillance capability for these vessels, particularly in Australia’s northern maritime region of interest.