I hate to say it but it is the RAF that has been behind the drag curve on the UAV front. The Watchkeeper IPT (now re-named the 'Tac UAV IPT') is almost
entirely green-suited, and there is not a single RAF representative in the organisation. When you consider that the UAV candidates in the fly-off can operate in middle- to upper- airspace, this should be more than slightly worrying for those who operate faster, more pointy aircraft in the same altitude blocks. 'See and avoid', anyone?
Phoenix is operated by the Royal Artillery who, in the main, are looking for target location and fall of shot, but there exists within the upper echelons a desire to gain a more strategic level of reach, which could be fulfillled by UAVs in the predator class.
If the RAF steals a march (pun intended) on the Army in the fashion described by Flight International, expect much gnashing of teeth in the ranks of our green-suited brethren!
Remember - for 'Joint' read 'Army'!!!
Joking aside, what is really frustrating is that the Army gets so hung up on who own/operates the platform, and continually wants to have its own toys to play with in whatever manner it sees fit. The public-issue Op TELIC post-op report criticised the Army at length for this issue, pointing out that the Phoenix imagery went nowhere outside of the Bde/Div HQs - a lot less than satisfactory in today's supposedly 'connected' environment. We cannot afford to operate this way, although all the signs are that nothing will change with 'son of Pheonix' either!
CV (ducks to avoid the incoming barrage...)
