NATIONAL AEROSPACE CHALLENGE

Brief:

To fulfil the brief, we propose two concepts which work together to exploit recent developments in the commercial aerospace and communication sectors. We have developed a lightweight, compact autonomous drone, to be operated in a ‘swarm’ of 14 in an attempt to significantly enhance the RAF’s reconnaissance capabilities. The operation of these drones (referred to as HIVE drones) in a swarm will maximise opportunities for data collection, increasing the probability of success of later missions. To facilitate the use of the swarm drones, we have also developed a flight-data analysis system (referred to as F-DAS) with the aim of intelligently processing and analysing the data retrieved by the swarm to make actionable information available as soon as possible after collection.

In recent times, manned aircraft have increasingly become a financial burden on the RAF: an investigation conducted by The Times reported that the total unit cost of Lockheed Martin’s F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter may reach £150 million. By contrast, 1 of our swarm drones would be inexpensive to manufacture, maintain and operate across the globe. This, alongside the vulnerability of larger drones (such as the REAPER) to fighter jets and air defence systems, was a key factor in our decision to explore the commercial drone sector. With the recent surge of commercially-available drones, many in smaller, more nimble frames, we are entering the golden age of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). We believe that the RAF, in order to remain at the forefront of military technology, should further its information-gathering capabilities through the use of smaller-scale autonomous surveillance.

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