QinetiQ has announced the launch of the Next-Generation Banshee, ‘Banshee NG’, a target that replicates fast flying jets and missiles, enabling test and evaluation and live fire training exercises.
The firm say that Banshee NG was built to enable NATO and allied militaries to train against simulated higher speed aerial threats, preparing for the evolution in those threats that are being seen to emerge.
“As a fifth member of the Banshee family of targets – joining the Banshee Whirlwind, Jet 40, Jet 80 and Jet 80+ – customers buying the Banshee NG will own a new generation of transonic aerial target that travels at a faster speed (>250 metres per second), soars to a higher altitude (up to 12,000 metres), offers increased manoeuvrability (up to 9G, from typically 3G), offers lower sea skimming capabilities (three metres) and is less detectable due to a low radar cross section (RCS).”
The firm claim that this further evolution in threat representation technology is a key part of QinetiQ’s strategy to lead and deliver world-class test and evaluation, training and mission rehearsal capabilities for governments around the world.
Peter Longstaff, Managing Director of QinetiQ Target Systems said in a news release received by the UK Defence Journal:
“Banshee NG is the next-step up in the Banshee family, for the live fire, test and evaluation community looking to buy an affordable target that represents even faster and more manoeuvrable aerial threats.
Adding Banshee NG to QinetiQ’s Target Systems’ portfolio enables us to deliver an even more comprehensive end-to-end threat representation offering to customers. As with all our targets, we can either provide Banshee NG as a product sale or deploy to a customer’s site as part of a managed service for test or training purposes.”
An extra advantage to the Banshee NG, claim Qinetiq, is that it is operated using the infrastructure and accessories that QinetiQ’s Target Systems business offers for its other Banshee targets.
“This includes being launched with ground-based pneumatic air-launchers, being equipped with a range of payloads such as radar augmentation, miss distance indication and sophisticated electronic warfare capability and being operated using the command and control systems currently on offer by QinetiQ.”
Once launched, Banshee NG is operated with a proprietary QinetiQ guidance system and range-certified flight termination system that enables full control at all times.
It can be recovered using a parachute.
Circa 560 Mph… Are there plans to produce a supersonic aerial target to properly test our defensive capabilities? Or does one already exist?
560 Mph does seem rather slow – even if it can maneuver at 9G…
Can an aircraft attack or launch weapons at Mach speeds ? You certainly can’t conduct any dogfights at those speeds.
Anti ship missiles do though don’t they.
Any yeah, the faster you travel as you launch a missile the greater you increase its range and speed.
These targets are to simulate anti ship weapons as well as aircraft – hence the new 3 metre sea skimming mode.
Speed of even the fastest warship is far below that of even a sub sonic aircraft
HF-Are you saying you’d like to see our warships able to outrun aircraft? That’s never been an option.
No.
You’ve succeeded in baffling me there old bean!
I was of course talking about the release speed of missiles launched form fast jets – As opposed to missiles launched from ships?!
My point is that almost every anti ship missile the RN would come up against is going to be supersonic – so is it not about time we invested in supersonic targets?
Why you have formed the opinion I may be talking about supersonic 9G maneuvering RN SHIPS escapes me! Although I’d love to see one! 🙂
I thin k I baffled myself as well ! Apologies for misreading you !
The US and a few other countries use the GQM-163A Coyote supersonic drone.
You have the Rattler thats mach 2+ being developed. Its air launched from a banshee so you can simulate an aircraft firing an ASM for example.
The Banshee NG can be coupled with the Rattler supersonic target to simulate a jet and missile launch. Also options for EW modules if needed. Source: https://www.qinetiq.com/news/2019/05/qinetiq-brings-to-market-the-airlaunched-rattler-uav-supersonic-target
Cheap solution? How much I wonder. I want one, im bored of my remote control prop plane!
Reminds me vaguely of the Regulus and all the other 50’s cruise missiles based on German research.
I’d like to see Sea Ceptor up against LRASM.
So what’s stopping this being a cheap cruise missile/decoy/dumb bomb? And I’d like to see an astor or camm take out one of these or a super sonic/ballistic version in a test if they even can
CAMM/Sea Ceptor/Sky Sabre has shot down quite a few of these and Sea Viper/Astor has successfully destroyed Banshees and US Coyote supersonic drones and Israeli ballistic missile drones in tests.