iscover
The Australian Defence Force’s JabX uncrewed aerial system prototype has reportedly completed a milestone flight from Brisbane to South Australia, under the Camel Train Program.
The JabX prototype, developed by the Jericho Disruptive Innovation team, made the flight during a Jericho Disruptive Innovations annual flight test exercise at Exercise Jericho Dawn 26-1 last month.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
The aircraft, based on the Jabiru 400 airframe and Jabiru-3300 engine, has reportedly already conducted tactical landing and take-off training from grass and dirt airstrips.
It is now expected to begin integration of a Mission Systems’ Boobook detection and avoidance radar system to provide all-weather flight benefits.
“By taking on routine logistics missions, autonomous aircraft will free up our aviators and crewed platforms for the tasks only people can do – particularly in demanding or contested conditions,” said deputy director Disruptive Experimentation Wing Commander Keirin Joyce.
“By automating cargo movement across the north, we strengthen our logistics tail. It ensures dispersed teams – from littoral operators to personnel at remote airbases – remain supported without over-tasking our crewed transport fleet.”
Alongside Project Camel Train, Project Arena is also working to ensure these autonomous aircraft can “navigate crowded or contested airspace as safely as a human pilot”, according to Defence.
“Partnering with Sydney-based company Mission Systems, JDI is developing Boobook-DAA, a compact detect-and-avoid radar,” Defence said earlier this year.
“Boobook-DAA functions as the aircraft’s ‘eyes’, replicating a pilot’s ability to detect and avoid other airspace users. The radar is designed to detect other aircraft in the sky, day and night, out to at least 7km.
“Together, the technical advances of projects Camel Train and Arena will allow aviators to focus on mission command and complex decision-making, rather than routine tasks.”
The Jabiru 400 is a four-seater kit-built aircraft made by Australian manufacturer Jabiru, now largely superseded by the 430.
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
