Page 11 - DEFENSE & SECURITY 2022 - Day 1 | DAILY NEWS

NAVIES ARE INVESTING HEAVILY

IN UNMANNED SOLUTIONS FOR

MARITIME MISSIONS

Unmanned aircraft coupled with of missions that simulated shore-line Loitering Strike
powerful satellite communication rescues, water rescues in dangerous
have taken maritime awareness to air space and long-distance ship res- Similarly, IAI recently signed deals to
the next level. Unmanned systems are cues which crossed international air provide loitering munitions systems
becoming an increasingly essential space lines. With a wingspan of 15m, to Asian countries worth over US$100
part of the world’s fleets as modern the 1.2 ton, Hermes 900 is already million. The deals include the sale
navies seek new ways to complete deployed with more than a dozen of the Naval version of the Harop
dangerous tasks. To enable this, advanced customers around the system. The Maritime Harop system
besides the United States, the United globe providing search, rescue and provides an operational solution
Kingdom, Canada, France and the reconnaissance capabilities. for a range of vessels, from offshore
Middle East, leading navies in the Elbit Systems offers extended vessels to fighting frigates in the
Asia-Pacific region are investing life-saving capabilities with its naval theater. In a complex naval
heavily on unmanned solutions for recently launched Hermes 900 theater, the Harop system gives mis-
maritime missions. Maritime Patrol configuration with sion commanders in a fleet of ships
inflated life-rafts for detection, the capability to independently
identification and saving the lives of
Ocean Guardians survivors at sea. It was revealed that and organically collect intelligence,
this configuration was delivered to assess targets and strike.
The platforms chosen, range from an undisclosed customer in South- The intelligence gathered by the
Boeing Insitu-made ScanEagle, East Asia. Interactively controlled Harop is directly integrated in the
Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton from mobile land-based mission sys- vessel’s control room and allows for
to Israel’s Elbit Systems’ the Hermes tems, fixed operation rooms or own quick, accurate and lethal deci-
900 MALE UAV and Israel Aerospace force ships, Hermes 900 provides sion-making. Use of the Harop on
Industries (IAI)- made Harop systems. multi-sensor data and live video in naval platforms is an operational
Recently, Hermes 900 Unmanned real time to mission operators and alternative and complementary ele-
Aerial System (UAS) successfully ship crews at sea.
completed a series of flight demon- Hermes 900 UAS can operate stand ment to using sea-sea missiles, with
strations for the U.K. Maritime and alone or can be integrated into an a wide range of uses and with opti-
Coastguard Agency (MCA). The overall setup of aircraft, ships, shore mal cost-efficiency for the navy. The
demonstration was run by the MCA or offshore based sensors, and mari- maritime and land combat-proven
and were designed to test the capa- time control centers and HQ. Hermes Harop provides an operational
bilities of using a UAS to enhance 900 can perform versatile missions solution for a range of low and
Search and Rescue (SaR) capabilities. such as EEZ monitoring & control, high-intensity conflict scenarios and
In the recent demonstration, the coastal protection, surveillance & for anti-terrorism activity. The Harop
Hermes 900 equipped with search protection of vital assets (such as oil is equipped with day/night cameras
and rescue specific radar, an rigs), anti-piracy operations, environ- and has the ability to search, find
Automatic Identification System mental monitoring, search & rescue and attack with maximum precision
(AIS), EO/IR payload, an Emergency operations as well as participation both static and moving targets, on
Position-Indicating Radio Beacon in Naval warfare (ASuW), Sea-Shore land or at sea and at a long-range.
(EPIRB) and full satellite communi- operations, and more, a company A strike can take place from any
cations, was deployed on a range
official informed. direction and at any angle of attack.
DEFENCE & SECURITY 2022 AUGUST 29 2022 11