The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) has launched and recovered Integrator, a new uncrewed aerial system (UAS) designed for ISR missions, for the first time.
The inaugural flight of the new fixed-wing drone, developed with Insitu Pacific, took place from the airfield in Jervis Bay south of Sydney in New South Wales, and was carried out by members of RAN’s 822X Squadron.
The naval version of Integrator can fly at up to 90 knots and is capable of staying in the air for up to 16 hours at a time. The UAS can be fitted with a variety of payloads and is expected to initially be used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
As per a recent Defence Australia press statement, Integrator’s first flight with the RAN saw it traverse the skies of Jervis Bay for just over three hours while its flight systems and communication links were validated, before being recovered via a hooking system.
Commander Fleet Air Arm Commodore Matthew Royals commented: “The realisation of Integrator has progressed from concept to first flight in just six months, an achievement that truly embodies the speed to capability intent, and a reflection of the hard work and commitment of a relatively small group of people across a range of organisations.”
- You can read more details on the Defence Australia website and on the Insitu website