UK drone sighting - But what is it ?

It’s Thales (or more accurately U-Tacs) that has responsibility for the Hermes UOR and Watchkeeper but I was under the impression that they would be training UK forces here for a month or two before being deployed.

How are the Desert Hawks working out over there? I’ve heard that the initial versions couldn’t be used because the Iraqi mobile phone network, of all things, interfered with the data links! Or are you using the Desert Hawk III?


I agree with you about it probably being a target drone but Selex also has some UAV work going on at Parc Aberporth (20 miles away from the area this was taken) which hasn’t been fully disclosed yet; plus other companies that are working on UAVs there. Also the Parc Aberporth UAV event has just been held so it could have been someone practicing a display.

I doubt it being a naval version of Storm Shadow being tested, that project is entirely French IIRC and I doubt they would led BAE or any other none French company have any part in it if they could help it.

OK, as I have jsut had a good look at storm shadow I can tel. from the eye witness description that this is NOT Storm Shadow.

This is twin engine (as one engine was heard to malfunction and spluter until it came back to full power) it was also seen through 16 times binos, and had the distinctive 'skua' tail, which leads me to think it is either an upgraded program altogether.


The shrouded tail really interests me, and if any one has any details or ideas please add them.

many thanks, DK.

UAV's arnt massivly advanced, one of the AV's I use gets most of its componants from a model shop.

its just the virtue of it being unmanned reduces the risk to life. That and the brish armed forces are having a bout of shiny-kit syndrome and are getting exited about their new toys.

Well it’s not just the risk to life that’s mitigated; you can get a lot of benefit out of a UAV. I mean you have/can have increased endurance over manned aircraft, increased payload, reduced operating costs, reduced training costs/time, reduced maintenance, reduced signature, reduced logistics footprint along with the all knock on benefits such as the ability to afford more platforms thus allowing more tasks to be undertaken etc etc. I don’t think it’s really driven by an unmanned fad.

As for UAV’s not being massively advanced surely that depends, as with anything, on exactly what you’re talking about. The DH is just an over the hill system meant to be robust and somewhat disposable, there’s no need for it to be packed with top of the range kit. But on the other hand when you look at something like Zephyr or the X-47 they are at the cutting edge of autonomous operation, airframe design, power plant design etc.

Originally posted by Mike_A
How are the Desert Hawks working out over there? I’ve heard that the initial versions couldn’t be used because the Iraqi mobile phone network, of all things, interfered with the data links! Or are you using the Desert Hawk III?

Yeah we're using desert hawk 3. Its doing quite well out there. but we are having some problems with interferance on some of the channels. but with the amount of EM based system in use out there its not really surprising.

On the plus side to practice we have to go to claifornia for a couple of weeks, which suits me just fine!!!!

One thing i can say about desert hawk is that it is a tenacious lil bugger. flown it into trucks, sangers, powerlines. we just get the duct tape out and it flies again.
See pic:

URL=http://img244.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc00131rx3.jpg][/URL]

This should bring a smile to your face.

i really believe this to be a uav the usaf uses but thats just my opinion

It's Desert Hawk 3! and it definitely uses the 'skua' tail design mostly for ease of manufactoring. btw LM just stamps their name on them, like bum_phantom said it's california were we make them.

..so here's the LM brochuer:

www.lockheedmartin.com...


ps: im limited on what ?'s i can answer about this project but some things may be common knowledge and i might share online.

Sorry, the following has little to do with the original post.

The Desert Hawk UAS was originally conceived by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company - Palmdale, as a subset of the Sentry Owl program, and subcontracted to Aeromech Engineering of San Luis Obispo, CA. The USAF was the original customer, but dropped the use of the system - possibly in favor of the RQ-11B.

The UK Royal Army picked up a similar version of the original system and stuck with it - to their benefit. They subsequently forged ahead to buy upgrades of the I+, called the III. System training has been ongoing at Camp Roberts, in central California, for over four years.

Desert Hawk UAS

This system has assisted in forward base operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The images of the Desert Hawk I+, at the link above, bear little resemblance to the current airframe used.