British firm QinetiQ has introduced a new service to the Royal Canadian Navy by emulating the threat posed to large naval vessels by small multi-rotor drones.
The live demonstration was carried out from a Halifax-class frigate under the $8.5M Unmanned Targets Repair, Overhaul and Engineering contract, say Qinetiq. The company flew its Snyper multi-rotor target alongside Lockheed Martin’s Indago quadcopter using QinetiQ’s Universal Target Control Station, which they say facilitates the operation of multiple unmanned systems from a single command centre.
Peter Longstaff, Managing Director, QTS, said:
“Commercially available technologies, like off-the-shelf drones, are becoming more advanced and more accessible to those who wish to use them to cause harm. QinetiQ simulates these new and emerging threats to help the armed forces understand how to protect their people and assets. This is part of our global strategy to modernise test and evaluation by introducing innovative and advanced capabilities that help nations maintain their advantage over potential adversaries. In Canada, we are committed to supporting the Department of National Defence in achieving its vision of being strong at home, secure in North America, and engaged in the world.”
Simon Nadeau, DNR-2 Unmanned Systems Section Head Commander, RCN, said:
“The information and results obtained during the demonstration are vital for the RCN’s development of remotely piloted systems use at sea, and the evaluation of ships’ critical defence systems. We are very pleased with the support that QinetiQ Target Systems provided to us during this demonstration.”
