Issue 59 Interview
2015-03-27
UCAS, The New Concept Combat Air System, Rebalance the Future
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Mr. Tom Fillingham, BAE Systems, Future Combat Air Systems Director pointed out the BAE Systems’ UAV Programs as well as engineering, assembly, test and integration capabilities for UAV and International development program of Unmanned Combat Future Air Systems (UCAS)
Defence Turkey: Dear Tom Fillingham, first of all thanks for the interview. Could you please tell us about your role at BAE Systems?
My current role is to lead the Future Combat Air Systems organisation within our Military Aircraft and Information (MA&I) business based in Warton, England. There are essentially three main areas that I have responsibility. The first is Future Projects and Technologies, where we evaluate future trends and opportunities, capability requirements, advanced concepts, disruptive technologies, identifying strategic opportunities and business propositions to support our overall growth objectives.
The second is around provision of Test and Evaluation services to the Military Aircraft business. This includes areas such as Aerodynamic and Flight Systems Test, Structural and Dynamic Test, Electromagnetic Engineering, Simulation and Electronic Engineering together with Flight Test and Evaluation.
The third and perhaps the most significant responsibility is to lead the UK programs to develop the next generation of combat air systems for the Royal Air Force, and potentially other partners. This encompasses all aspects of future combat air systems, both manned and unmanned.
Defence Turkey: Could you please inform us about the history of BAE Systems UAV programmes?
BAE Systems has been investing in Technology Demonstration Programs related to UAV programs for over 20 years. Our first programs were intended to develop our knowledge of autonomous flight control through programmes such as Soarer and Kestrel. The Raven and Corax programmes focussed on flight controls for aircraft configurations without vertical flight surfaces - essential when looking at the development of low observable aircraft. Corax also added a large wing to the Raven fuselage to investigate the characteristics of a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAV.
The Herti programme was a series of UAVs that looked at employing autonomy in both flight control and sensor fusion with a focus on the gathering and exploitation of information. A number of aircraft were built and operated, in a range of roles and environments, with a selection of potential UK and export customers. This programme provided invaluable experience for our team, which went on to develop more complex and capable products. Good examples include; the UAS weapons integration program called Fury, and the Mantis development programme Mantis is a larger twin engine Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV developed to investigate sensor performance primarily for surveillance with provision for weapons integration.
Our recent focus has been on the UCAS development programme for the Royal Air Force. At the core of this effort has been the delivery of the hugely successful Taranis demonstration programme, which lays the foundation for UCAS collaboration in support of UK and partners’ ambitions.
The Taranis programme brings together a number of technologies, capabilities and systems to produce a technology demonstrator based around an intelligent system that significantly reduces operator workload. The result is the most technologically advanced aircraft the UK has ever designed and built. Taranis has integrated world-leading stealth technologies, propulsion systems and the next generation mission systems, all of which have direct relevance to the next generation of military aerospace capabilities.
We have now completed two separate phases of flight trials: The first phases, including the first flight, were undertaken in 2013 and 2014. Both phases of testing have progressively proved the overall vehicle, communications and mission performance, aircraft handling and a variety of specific Low Observability-related aspects including propulsion, Infra Red and Radar Cross Section characteristics of this configuration.
BAE Systems is also a member of the ASTRAEA consortium, a collaboration of some of the UK’s leading aerospace companies working together to develop the rules, regulations and key technologies to enable the safe and routine operation of UAS in unsegregated airspace. This is essential to open up the huge potential of the UAV market, whilst maintaining the high levels of safety that the aviation industry enjoys today.
Defence Turkey: BAE Systems has great experience in UAV programs. Could you please inform us about BAE Systems’ engineering, assembly, test and integration capabilities for UAV?
BAE Systems has the end-to-end capability to design, deliver and support UAVs, built on our experience in delivering manned air-system capability. We have embedded this capability into a dedicated business stream that fosters capabilities across the whole aircraft lifecycle.
Our involvement in numerous manned aircraft platforms has provided us with access to a broad range of facilities and capabilities from Wind Tunnels and Flight Test through to Electromagnetic Engineering and Weapons Integration that are owned by BAE Systems and co-located at our Warton facility.
Our manned aircraft heritage has had a very direct influence on the development of our capabilities in UAVs. In return the UAV development and wider research programmes also support the development of capability relevant to other sectors of the military aircraft business.
Defence Turkey: UK and France awarded contracts to develop fighter drone aircraft at the end of 2014. What is the latest status of this programme schedule? What is your expectation from this cooperation?
At the end of 2014, a contract was awarded for a Future Combat Air System Feasibility Phase Study, examining what technologies and capabilities may be required as part of a future combat air system, manned or unmanned, for the UK and French governments. It’s a joint programme between the UK and France led by BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation and supported by Rolls Royce, Safran, Selex, and Thales.
The Feasibility Phase is focusing on a number of key areas; Firstly, the maturation of Operational UCAS concepts that meet the joint French and UK Operational requirements. By the end of the Feasibility Phase the intention is to be in a position to converge on a single Operational UCAS concept.
Secondly, the development of key technologies that will be required for a future operational UCAS including vehicle systems, sensors, communications, mission systems and propulsion. These will pave-the-way for any potential full UCAS development programme, minimising programme risk and allowing industry to develop new and innovative technologies.
The funding will also be used to continue the development of simulation capabilities that will be essential for an affordable, long-term programme.
Defence Turkey: What is BAE Systems approach on developing indigenous manned or unmanned platforms with Turkey and will they export them to 3rd party countries?
BAE Systems has a long history of working with Turkish industry through companies such as TAI, Aselsan, Roketsan, Havelsan and Fotoniks. Perhaps the clearest example of our partnership approach is FNSS. This has proven to be a very successful model. Our objective, through relationships such as this, is to become an integral, valued partner of choice for the Turkish defence industry, supporting leading edge capabilities and new, innovative intellectual capital for future programmes.
Defence Turkey: What do you think about Turkey’s studies especially on Indigenous Aerial Platform productions? What would you like to say about the developments on this issue?
Turkey has a clearly demonstrated capability in advanced military aerospace programmes, including F-16, F-35 and concept work on future fighter programmes. With unmanned systems, the Anka is one of the most significant UAS programmes of its class in the world today. This capability places the Turkish aerospace industry in an ideal position to move forward on these and future programs including export, both nationally or as part of collaborative venture.
Defence Turkey: Could you please inform us about R&D activities and investments on your future combat aircraft programmes?
For well over 20 years, BAE systems has been working in partnership with the UK Government to develop the knowledge, capabilities and expertise required for future combat aircraft programmes.
We have invested significant funds into the future, both through investment in underpinning R&D activities associated with the challenges in the UAV field and also through the development of physical concept demonstrators such as Taranis. This investment covers engagement with academic institutions and industry in many fields, both as a single company and jointly with industrial partners. This research base will not only support the UAV development programmes, but will also be relevant in developing the performance and functionality of Typhoon and Hawk products.
The project aims to contribute to the understanding of strategic UCAV, through the demonstration of relevant technologies and their integration into a representative UAV system. The aircraft has been designed to demonstrate the UK’s ability to create an unmanned air system, which, under the control of a human operator, is capable of undertaking sustained surveillance, marking targets, gathering intelligence, deterring adversaries and carrying out strikes in hostile territory.
Defence Turkey: Taranis will provide the UK MoD with experimental evidence on the potential capabilities of this class of UAV and will help to inform decisions on the future mix of manned and unmanned fast jet aircraft. Could you please inform us about your International activities?
BAE Systems is in the privileged position of having a strong international presence. This position along with the relationships and partnerships we have in place provides a platform to exploit our UAV products and capabilities.
We continue to monitor Customer requirements for next generation combat air systems and the applicability of the technical demonstration in Mantis and Taranis to meeting these emerging Customer needs.
Defence Turkey: Can you approach to the different project models suggested by customers in the international market?
Many of our programmes are now delivered through international collaboration and BAE Systems has a rich history of successful involvement in such programmes. This has been gained over many years and in the case of combat aircraft began in the 1960’s through collaboration within Europe. The Anglo-French co-development of the Jaguar was followed by the three-nation Panavia Tornado program and most recently with the Eurofighter Typhoon programme which involved UK, Germany, Italy and Spain. While working with European partners we also collaborate with the US, historically on Harrier AV8B and T45 Goshawk for example and more recently with seven other nations including Turkey on the F35 programme where the UK is a Level 1 partner.
Our successful Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer has also been procured through a variety of different project models with nations such as Australia, India and South Africa where our industrial partners have built their own aircraft under license and have the intellectual property rights required to fully support, modify and upgrade their aircraft to meet their requirements.
This wide experience enables us to demonstrate our ability to utilize different project models depending on the specific customer requirements.
Defence Turkey: Finally would you like to add a message for our readers?
We are working now to design and develop the technologies that will be used in the aircraft and systems of the future. Partnerships are going to be key to the success of our business and we look forward to exploring the possibility of collaborating with partners in Turkey and around the world to meet future air sector requirements.