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UAV Excellence Center Launched
Last week saw the international launch of ParcAberporth,
the UK's first UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) center of excellence.
Civil and commercial UAVs will be designed and built there, along
with their related sensors and datalinks. The intention is to eventually
test-fly, evaluate and train personnel in a risk-managed airspace
environment at adjoining West Wales Airport.
When Welsh Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies officially
launched ParcAberporth on July 13, over 200 specially invited guests
were treated to the first public UAV flying demonstration in the
UK at a civilian airfield.
Building has started on the first 20 acres of the 50-acre
ParcAberporth site, which includes offices and business units for
prospective tenants. It is due to open in September 2005.
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The EADS Scorpio 6 UAV helicopter made history at the ParcAberporth
event—it was the first UAV public demonstration at a
UK civil airport. Two SkyshipRemote AEC 1000 nine-meter-long
(30 ft) Airships were also due to demonstrate, but a 15-20kt
wind put paid to this.
UAVs on show at ParcAberporth included Northrop Grumman's
Firescout and Ranger, two Thales/Elbit Hermes, EADS Scorpio
6 helio UAV, and two versions of Meggitt's Banshee. EADS showed
off one of its experimental DO- DT35 drones fitted with a
nose-test-mounted engine to check for infra-red in-flight
signature. The Elbit lightweight hand-launched Skylark UAV
also appeared in the indoor exhibition.
Smaller UK UAVs were present, such as Kestrel Aerospace's
scale model and full-size fuselage of their electric powered
VTOL swing, twin-fan design (estimated 800km [500-mile] range),
the prototype of which is due to fly shortly, according to
a company executive. The Vincent Nitro Hawk helio UAV from
Ross-on-Wye was also on static display in the indoor area,
complete with nose-mounted cameras.
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The site's first tenant was signed up at the launch event. Andre
J Clot, the MD of European UAV Systems Center (EuroUSC), and Welsh
Development Agency Chief Executive Graham Hawker CBE inked the deal.
Big name UAV corporations present included Northrop Grumman, EADS/Elbit,
Thales and BAE Systems.
The idea is that the Parc will appeal to well-known and not so
well-known UAV manufacturers who will base themselves at this beautiful,
but remote, site on the coast of West Wales. The area is also home
to the UK's largest test range (6,200 square km [3,850 square miles]
of sea with a safety area and an unlimited ceiling), where target
drones from Aberporth and Llanbedr's integrated MOD facilities have
been deployed and tracked for the last 43 years. Some experts say
it is one of the best instrumented ranges in Europe.
Tim Willbond, chairman of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems Association
(UAVSA), whose members include BAE Systems, Thales and Meggitt,
said that UAV development is thriving with around 10%-15% growth
per annum, and a total global business worth around $20 billion
over the next 25 years. The main impediment to UAV European development
is, according to Willbond, "not being able to fly civil application
UAVs when you want to." His organization has been working closely
with the UK's CAA and JAA/EASA to bring about safe operating rules
for civilian UAV use. He calls the initiative "Sense and Avoid."
According to Willbond, the CAA has approached the UAVSA to prepare
a process for the issuing of exemptions of Certificates of Airworthiness
and Permits to conduct aerial work for small UAV systems. It is
intended to set up a nonprofit company to provide these, and other
services, as a devolved responsibility from the CAA in the next
12 months. "This will be a world's first, but is seen by the UVASA
as a small but significant step toward routine UAV systems operations,"
said Willbond.
The $39 million finance for the Parc's infrastructure has come
from European Commission funds and is being channeled by the Welsh
Development Agency. Stakeholders in the development include the
UK Department of Trade and Industry, Department for Transport, the
CAA, MoD, WDA and the UK's UAV Systems Association.
—Mike Vines
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