Unmanned, versatile and mission ready
Situational awareness remains the key to tactical advantage at sea. Knowing what lies over the horizon enables commanders to make the best possible decisions and save lives. The current generation of the Skeldar UAS excels at situational awareness by scouting ahead and identifying potential threats using an ever-increasing array of integrated onboard sensors, software and datalinks.
SKELDAR V-200 is the first rotary winged medium-range UAS that can be operated from a tailored Remote Pilot Station (RPS), which can be onboard ship or land based. NATO STANAG 4586 - compliant, it remains the only unmanned rotary VTOL in its class powered by a reliable heavy fuel engine. Equipped with multiple capabilities including surveillance and 3D mapping, the aircraft provides an edge in any environment – day or night.
Saab is working with UMS Skeldar to integrate a range of advanced sensors and systems into both the aircraft and the Remote Pilot Station to optimise the ISAR mission. This includes the Sentient Vision Systems ViDAR (Visual Detection and Ranging), the world’s first Optical Radar. ViDAR is an airborne persistent wide area maritime search system that autonomously detects objects on the ocean surface and provides the operator with a detailed image of objects that other search methods often miss.
Other payloads available for specific missions include:
- Advanced stabilised EO/IR Sensors
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Ground Moving Target Indicator Radar (GMTI)
- Hyper-spectral and Multi-spectral cameras
- Communications Relay Systems
The Imagery and intelligence data received at the Skeldar RPS is further enhanced through close integration of third-party systems like General Dynamics Mission Systems D-VEX Motion Imagery Processing & Exploitation Software. With a streamlined suite of tools to search, process, analyse and archive full-motion video, D-VEX can transform the way an ISR unit like the Skeldar V-200 can operate.
Saab Australia has also been working to integrate the RPS with the 9LV Combat Management System. “Close integration with the combat system ensures the warfare staff fully understand the state of the air vehicle and what it’s seeing or detecting in real-time.,” says James Lawless, Saab Australia’s Senior Sales Director - Maritime.
Our maritime team will be available on the Saab stand at Pacific 2019 to discuss the features and capabilities of the Skeldar V-200, a full-scale model of which will be on the stand for the first time with ViDAR pod integrated, and the integration capabilities of the 9LV Combat Management System.