PPRuNe Forums - Project Morrigan?

HERTI UAV PROGRAMME

HERTI (High Endurance Rapid Technology Insertion) UAV is a fully autonomous multi-mission UAV optimised for surveillance and point reconnaissance.

The HERTI 1-D concept demonstrator was the first of the HERTI systems and it used the common systems, the power plant and the ground station from the CORAX and RAVEN UAV programmes. HERTI-D used the airframe designed by Mr Janaowski of J&AS Aero Design.

The HERTI-D progressed from conception phase in June 2004 to achieving its first flight in Australia in December 2004. Carrying the BAE Systems ICE payload, HERTI-D carried out extended missions including fully autonomous flight, demonstrations of loiter capability, and complex flight profiles at altitudes up to 5,000ft.

HERTI-1A is a significantly larger version of the HERTI-1D and has larger payload capacity and high endurance. The HERTI-1A vehicle G-8-008 achieved the first fully autonomous mission of an unmanned aircraft in UK airspace on 18 August 2005.

This first flight included a take-off from Campbeltown airport in Scotland, the flight of a fully autonomous mission over Machrihanish bay and return to Campbeltown Airport with a fully autonomous landing. The autonomous flight controlled by a mission system commander, was conducted in close collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority.

In September 2006, it was announced that BAE Systems would be working with the RAF on a two-year programme (Project Morrigan) to integrate the HERTI UAV into UK military exercises, to inform future development of UAV capabilities.

BAE Systems has confirmed the successful completion of a new series of trials for its fully autonomous HERTI UAV system.

In November and December 2006, HERTI successfully completed fully autonomous flight trials at the Woomera range followed by a period of data analysis concluded in January. The ICE payload successfully undertook autonomous target searches.