Stalker Drone Put Through Its Paces

Drones set to be delivered to the U.K.'s armed forces to provide cutting-edge capability have been put through rigorous trials at RNAS Predannack in Cornwall.

Under Project TIQUILA, which aims to deliver cutting-edge small Uncrewed Air Systems (sUAS) to U.K. forces, Lockheed Martin’s Stalker VXE30 was subjected to almost 20 hours of trials in challenging weather conditions that pushed the platform to its limits.

In keeping pace with both technological and battlespace advances, Project TIQUILA is currently assessing the Stalker VXE30 and Indago 4 platforms assessing their ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) capabilities. Whilst focussing on the Stalker VXE30 to date, the same rigorous testing will be conducted on the Indago 4 in due course.

Stalker VXE30 and Indago 4 both enable their operators to find and accurately locate targets at multiple ranges, across a variety of environments and conditions. Weighing about 20kg and with a wingspan just under 5m, the Stalker VXE30 is a vertical-launched, near-silent drone providing up to eight hours of imaging capability and has a 60km range.

Indago 4, a 4kg quadcopter, can be folded and carried in a backpack and deployed in just three minutes, with a range of approximately 12km. Both are on track to be operational by the end of 2024.

The recent trial was undertaken by an expert team made up of the Joint UAS Test and Evaluation Flight (JUAS TEF), part of 744 Naval Air Squadron (744 NAS), Air & Space Warfare Centre (ASWC) and Defence Equipment and Support’s TIQUILA Delivery Team. Flight trials provide an essential body of evidence to prove the equipment is capable and that it will provide value for money to both the user and the U.K. taxpayer.

Hannah Haggett, at DE&S said: “It is crucial we provide the military with cutting-edge capabilities now, but also equipment that can be continually upgraded to keep pace with emerging threats in an ever-evolving, demanding battlespace. Testing early and appropriately will underpin both capabilities and from the evidence generated from the trials thus far, the equipment is high quality and is performing as expected.”

Read more on this story on the Defence Equipment and Support website