Australia to acquire small UASs for surveillance

The Australian DoD is acquiring an undisclosed number of the Vector UAS (pictured) from German company Quantum-Systems to strengthen the surveillance capabilities of the ADF. (Janes/Akshara Parakala)

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) has announced plans to procure small unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to boost the surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

In a media release on 15 July, the DoD said it will acquire an undisclosed number of the Vector UAS from German company Quantum-Systems and the CorvoX UAS from Australian company Sypaq Systems.

These acquisitions are part of an investment of over AUD100 million (USD68 million) – announced by Australia's Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy – to expand the ADF's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) arsenal.

“[Vector and CorvoX] will enhance ADF force protection and potency capabilities across land and littoral operations by supporting the Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in confined areas, including small marine craft and urban environments,” the DoD said.

The DoD added that Vector and CorvoX will also support manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T). “Both systems can be deployed as a complement to crewed systems,” the DoD said.

The Vector and CorvoX UASs will be delivered to the ADF in 2025, the DoD added.

Vector is a mini fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAV. It is also called a Vector 2-in-1 system because of its modular design that enables it to be converted to the Scorpion UAV, which is also developed and manufactured by Quantum-Systems.

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