Australia selects Insitu Integrator tactical unmanned aerial vehicles

 

The Insitu Integrator. Photo c/o Insitu Pacific.

 

The Australian Department of Defence (DOD) has confirmed that it has selected Insitui Pacific to supply tactical unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) to the Australian Army under its LAND 129 Phase 3 project.

Insitu Pacific offered their Integrator tactical UAV to meet the Australian Army’s requirements, and 24 units will be delivered under a A$650 million (US$480 million) deal.

The package includes associated ground systems and integration services, and the local manufacture of the UAVs in Brisbane, Queensland.

Insitu Pacific competed against Textron Australia with its Aerosonde V4 UAV, with both companies shortlisted by the Australian DOD in 2020.

The Integrator UAV will provide the Australian Army will enhanced capabilities in Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) gathering, and target acquisition for weapon systems across the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

With the UAVs being manufactured locally, the program would also assist in harnessing the Australia’s innovation and technology development, with investment worth A$56 million, and employment of up to 130 Australians.

Production was confirmed to have already started, with the UAVs expected to be delivered starting 2023, and end by 2024.

The Australian Army’s LAND 129 Phase 3 project aims to replace its fleet of AAI RQ-7B Shadow 200 Version 1 currently operated by the 20th Surveillance and Target Acquisition Regiment.

The RQ-7B Shadow 200 Version 1 was found to be obsolete for further use in the next few years, and even the US Army has started replacing them with a newer variant, the RQ-7 Shadow 200 Version 2, which the Australian Army found as not in line with their own requirements.

The Integrator uses a base UAV platform as the RQ-21 Blackjack in US military service, but will be integrated with indigenous systems, which involves companies including Ascent Vision Technologies Australia, Orbital UAV, Nova Systems Australia, LSM Advanced Composites, and Jayben Group.




[1] Australian Department of Defence
[2] Australian Defence Magazine
[3] Asia Pacific Defense Journal