Page 17 - ADT APRIL - MAY 2021 Online Magazine

SeaVue Expanded Mission Capability (XMC)
radar and AN/DAS-4 Multi-spectral Targeting
System, onboard the SeaGuardian. According
to Japanese media, the country intends to
acquire three maritime surveillance drones
before 2023 and then add 20 more UAVs in a
phased manner. [ COVER STORY ]

In November last year, the United States’ State
Department approved possible foreign military
sales of MQ-9Bs with anti-submarine warfare
mission kits to the United Arab Emirates and
Taiwan. However, the sale is yet to go through
with the Biden administration taking another
look at the decision that came during the last
days of the Trump administration.

Meanwhile, India is set to become the first inter-
national customer of the SeaGuardian. After
initially leasing two unarmed drones last year
during the height of the tense stand-off with
China, the Indian government is planning to buy
30 SeaGuardian armed drones, ten each for – in March this year. The country is expected to get six more drones
the Navy, Army and the Air Force, in a US$3 by 2022. Indonesia and the Philippines will get eight ScanEagles
billion deal. According to sources, the coun- each under the MSI program while Vietnam will take delivery of six.
try’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), led by The Royal Singapore Navy acquired the Insitu ScanEagle as early
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, is expected as in in 2012, making it the first navy in the region, after China, to
to make a final decision on the issue within acquire a maritime UAV capability.
weeks. The Indian Navy currently operates a
mix of Israeli-built Heron and Searcher UAVs Triton Makes a Mark
for intelligence-gathering and surveillance. The In January 2020, the U.S. Navy deployed Northrop Grumman’s
service also uses aerial surveillance platforms MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) maritime ISR
such the Boeing P-8I Neptune aircraft, IL-38s, system to Guam. It was in November 2017 that the company deliv-
and Dornier planes. ered the first of two MQ-4C UAVs to the Navy for operational
testing. The Navy plans to purchase 68 Tritons as part of its UAV
In April, the US Defense Security Cooperation fleet.
Agency (DSCA) said that the 12 MQ-9B
drones approved for sale to Australia would The MQ-4C, which can cover more than one million square miles,
be delivered in the SeaGuardian maritime con- or two and a half million square kilometers, of ocean and littorals
figuration. The drones would be equipped with in a single flight, is a cooperative development program between
the Seaspray 7500E V2 active electronically the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and the U.S. Navy. Australia
scanned array (AESA) over-water radar and is scheduled to receive its first Triton in late 2023 and its first three
Automatic Information System (AIS) for surface drones by 2025. The country’s 2016 Defence White Paper had fore-
vessel identification. cast a requirement for seven Tritons, under Project Air 7000 Phase
1B, to support the RAAF’s manned Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime
Insitu ScanEagle surveillance aircraft. Another potential customer of the HALE UAS
In November 2020, the Philippine Navy took is Norway. In May last year, Northrop Grumman announced that it
delivery of a ScanEagle Unmanned Aerial had initiated discussions with Norway for sale of the UAV.
System (UAS) consisting of eight Unmanned
Aircraft Vehicles (UAV). The drones, produced The Triton, which is a derivative of the RQ-4 Global Hawk, has a
by Boeing subsidiary Insitu, were delivered reinforced airframe, for increased internal payload, and wing for
by the United States as part of its Maritime hail, bird strike, and gust load protection, along with de-icing and
Security Initiative (MSI) program. Under the MSI lightning protection systems. These allow the UAV to descend and
program, Insitu was awarded US$48 million ascend through harsh maritime weather environments to gain a
contract for 34 ScanEagle UAVs for Malaysia, closer view of ships and other targets at sea when needed. The
Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Malaysia, aircraft, which can fly over 24 hours at a time at altitudes higher
which took delivery of six ScanEagle drones in than 10 miles, has an operational range of 8,200 nautical miles.
May last year, launched its first ever Unmanned Pilots and sensor operators fly the Triton from ground stations,
Aerial System (UAS) Squadron - Squadron 601 which can command flights all over the world.

ASIAN DEFENCE TECHNOLOGY April/May 2021 | 17