The Williams Foundation think-tank has released a report in which it says Australia should fast-track its adoption of unmanned systems for military, commercial and civil aviation tasks.
The report – Protecting Australia with Unmanned Aerial Systems – contains recommendations for Defence and for Government, including the development of appropriate safety and regulatory frameworks, the acquisition of unmanned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft and, the consideration of buying an unmanned combat air system (UCAS) capability.
“The Australian Defence Force’s recent successful use of unmanned aerial systems in Iraq and Afghanistan provides an ideal platform for the broader exploitation of this technology Williams Foundation Chairman and former Chief of Air Force, AIRMSHL Errol McCormack (rtd) said in a statement. “This is the right time to clear the way for acquisition of the technology we need to protect Australia in the safest, most efficient and cost effective way.”
For example, it recommends the scope of the current Project AIR7000 Phase 1B maritime surveillance system be expanded to include the acquisition of a strike capability for the chosen ISR platform.
The report was prepared after a series of interviews, seminar and submissions, and can be found at http://www.williamsfoundation.org.au/researchpapers
