Weaponised drone developed to counter unmanned threat
Britain's BAE launched its solution to the threat from kamikaze attack drones, which explode when they hit targets, by fitting its Malloy T-150 drone with APKWS laser-guidance kit that fires 70-mm rockets, and used the combination to shoot down another drone in trials.
"We've had multiple inquiries from agencies in the US, from agencies in Europe, from the UK," said Anthony Gregory, business development director of BAE Systems' FalconWorks unit.
Given the growing military interest as countries see what is happening in Ukraine, and also Iran's deployment of drones against Israel, BAE said it wanted to supply an alternative to Raytheon Technologies Patriot mobile surface-to-air system.
"Those type of munitions are probably in four or five figure sums, whereas a Patriot missile, or things that you see being used on the news to do the same thing, are in six figure sums," Gregory said on Wednesday.
The weapon system can be removed from the drone within an hour, enabling the drone to be repurposed to supply cargo or to perform reconnaissance. It is already used by the US Marines and Britain's Royal Navy to move equipment between ships at sea, replacing some helicopter lifts.
BAE acquired England-based Malloy Aeronautics, a specialist heavy-lift drone company, last year.
The trial of the drone with the APKWS kits produced by BAE's US business, and usually found on F-16s and Apache helicopters, took place last month in Utah, Gregory said.
Given anticipated demand from Western militaries, BAE said it was aiming to start manufacturing the electric motors that power the drone in Britain, instead of buying them from China.
"We're trying to what we would call onshore, or friend shore, all elements in the value chain of the supply chain," Gregory said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
West Australian
8 hours ago
- West Australian
Ryan Daniels: Inside Harley Reid's contract talks and the multi-million dollar offers on the table
It wasn't quite high-powered Wall Street execs in Armani suits, marching in to close a billion-dollar deal — but the stakes, in a footy sense, were just as high. Harley's Melbourne-based manager Nick Geischen rolled into town, and while he didn't utter the words 'Show Me the Money', he didn't need to. The phrase was emanating from his $24 million smile. It's been a hectic week in Harley-world, with a somewhat surprising shift in the situation. Earlier this year, the Eagles put forward multiple contract options to Harley's team. Three, five, seven-year deals — a pick-your-own-adventure approach. Nothing came of it. which had people thinking — he's gone. Even before the Eagles drafted him, there was talk Harley would bail. That the Eagles would be better off trading the pick. Victorian journalist Sam McLure now famously declared 'they won't pick him, Mitch (Cleary)' — suggesting West Coast would be better off passing on one of the most prodigious talents the draft has seen in years — just to avoid the inevitable messy exit. It's always been perceived as a matter of when Harley will leave, not if . Then, the twist. Geischen had come bearing gifts — a proposal for West Coast. An 11-year deal. $2.2 million per year, on average. $24 million all up. The largest deal in AFL history. More money per year than Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins. Unprecedented numbers across the board. While it sounds like monopoly money, in 11 years, $2.2 million won't be as crazy as it sounds right now. By then, Harley will be 32 and potentially edging out of his prime — but with the growth of the AFL's salary cap, he might end up a bargain at some stage. Remember, back in 1994 Alastair Lynch signed a ten-year deal for $1 million — at $100,000 per season, people lost their minds at the money. By the time Lynch retired, he was woefully underpaid. As part of this proposed deal, Harley would have the option to leave after two years. If not, he'd be here until the end of 2037. Let that sink in. In 2037 we might actually have flying cars and robot slaves. Or we'll be slaves to the robots. I'll be 54 years old. Bring me a pair of warm slippers, a glass of prune juice, and cap it off with a few episodes of Murder She Wrote. Maybe my idea of what it's like to be 54 is a little dated — but you get the point — 2037 is an eternity away. Harley's people bringing this to the table signals his intention to stay — if terms can be agreed. So, what's changed? Nothing, really. All along we've heard Harley, the Eagles, even his management declare the young midfielder was taking his time, happy in Perth. In recent weeks Reid's form has elevated, he's exhibiting an edge, leadership around the club. He's forming strong bonds with teammates. My understanding is he's told Andrew McQualter he wants to stay. At 20, he's living on his own, cooking, cleaning, he's got a dog. He's handling the media/fan pressure superbly. Some 20-year-olds can barely remember to flush the toilet. This kid is settled. Credit to the Eagles for an environment where a country kid from the other side of Australia feels comfortable, happy. Saying that, nothing is guaranteed here. The new proposal isn't quite a gun to the head, an ultimatum — but it's not miles off it. This is how keeping Harley Reid looks. If that's too rich, there will be other suitors. It's a fairly simple situation — other than the overwhelming commitment. That's the holdup, if there is one. No one saw this coming. Not even the Eagles. The deal, or at least the sheer enormity of it, has blindsided West Coast. They've taken a pause. In the month following the contract proposal landing in their inbox, there's been no response. Some meals take a lot longer to digest, and this is like going to a steak joint and being served an entire cow. Don't panic Eagles fans, they know what they have in Harley. They love him. If they believe they've found the sun which all other planets can rotate around, that he could be their Dustin Martin, their Patrick Dangerfield, then they need to do it. Maybe it's a slight variation of this proposed deal, a happy compromise, but they can't get too cute here. Harley could be the AFL's best player within a few years. Yes, a deal that long, with that kind of financial commitment comes with risk. In my opinion, it's a risk worth taking. This kid is special. He wants to be here and he's box office. After a disastrous four years at the West Coast Eagles, the signature of Harley Reid would be a significant victory and a sign that things might finally be turning around. Years of endless chat about a move back to Victoria for Harley, now the Eagles have a chance to keep their man. They just need to sign on the dotted line.
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
NT government expands role of G4S private security guards to support overcrowded watch houses
In an expansion of private prison staff responsibilities in the Northern Territory, Department of Corrections employees have heard the duties performed by private security firm G4S will be increased. In March, the NT government signed a six-month contract with G4S to manage the transfer of Darwin prisoners. G4S security guards currently help to transfer inmates between prisons and the courts, as territory correctional staff face record prisoner numbers. Despite a recruitment drive for 202 new corrections officers to be employed inside prisons this financial year, NT Corrections Minister Gerard Maley has previously acknowledged the prison population is growing and that the government needs to expand the workforce. In an internal memo seen by the ABC, corrections staff were told Corrections Commissioner Matthew Varley had signed a work order to expand the duties carried out by private security guards. "As we shape this next phase, we are working closely with G4S to determine what a Northern Territory-based G4S staffing model could look like." The United Workers Union (UWU), which represents corrections officers, has been strongly opposed to the NT's six-month arrangement with G4S since it began in March. UWU NT branch secretary Erina Early said although G4S guards had been assisting with prison transfers since that time, corrections staff had not seen any improvement to their working conditions. "It hasn't made much change to our correctional officers at all because the [prisoner] numbers are increasing," she said. "Bringing in G4S may relieve a couple of shifts, but it's not having the outcome that the government [is] hoping for." Ms Early said union members were worried for "the safety of the prisoners and also safety of the police" — who have a different skillset to correctional officers — and held concerns the expansion of G4S's services signalled growing privatisation in the NT's corrections system. "They've been saying this since it was announced by Commissioner Matthew Varley, that G4S were coming in — as soon as you have them in, it's like a cancer, they will spread," she said. "They have been taking more and more roles." Corrections Minister Gerard Maley last month told the ABC that privatising the entire NT prison system was not on the government's radar. "There are private firms that run prisons in their entirety, that's not our plan at all," he said. "Our plan is to make sure that we have highly trained officers behind the wire, and then independent contractors such as G4S doing the services outside that." The NT's corrections department has been housing a growing number of prisoners in police watch houses in recent months, due to capacity constraints at territory prisons. Earlier this week, there were about 100 people being held inside the Palmerston police watch house, including overflow corrections prisoners. G4S is part of American private security giant Allied Universal, which employs more than 800,000 people internationally and generates about $20 billion in annual revenue. The company describes itself as a "global leader in security". Security guards employed by G4S in Australia mainly work in prisons and detention centres. The firm has operated Victoria's largest maximum security prison, Port Phillip Prison, since it opened in 1997. A 2018 report by the Victorian auditor-general's office found "serious incidents" at Port Phillip Prison, including assaults and drug use, and "exposed weaknesses in how G4S … manage safety and security risks". A Victorian coroner recently recommended G4S improve staff training following the "preventable" 2022 death of an Aboriginal man in his prison cell. Port Phillip Prison is due to close by the end of this year. Last year, G4S reached a confidential settlement with the parents of an Iranian asylum seeker, who was fatally bashed by guards at a Manus Island offshore detention centre in 2014. The company was also fined over its role in the death of an Aboriginal elder, who overheated in the back of a prison van in remote Western Australia in 2008. It is not yet clear how much the NT government's contract with G4S has cost the public.
West Australian
11 hours ago
- West Australian
Venus locks in mining lease for WA Sandstone gold project
Venus Metals Corporation has added serious momentum to its Sandstone region ambitions by locking in a granted mining lease over its Bellchambers gold deposit in the Western Australia Goldfields. The newly secured tenure covers the company's 30,500-ounce gold resource and firmly sets the stage for a potential open-pit operation. Achieving mining lease status is a critical step towards monetising the deposit at a time when gold prices are nipping at the heels of all-time highs of more than $5100 per ounce. The lease, which spans 415 hectares, includes the broader Range View area where a recent drilling program unearthed some compelling numbers. Standout shallow reverse circulation hits from the Bellchambers deposit include 29 metres at 1.55 grams per tonne (g/t) gold from 11m, 30m at 1.72g/t from 45m and a chunky 19m at 3.74g/t from 11m. Meanwhile, the company's nearby Range View and Range View South prospects have continued to impress with wide intercepts of 13m at 1.60g/t from 19m, 18m at 1.24g/t from 47m and 9m at 1.12g/t from 17m. Venus says the results at Bellchambers hint at a broader mineralised system and set the tone for what it hopes will evolve into a cash-generating open pit. The current mineral resource on site totals 722,000 tonnes grading 1.31g/t for 30,500 ounces of gold. Notably, 22,100 ounces sit in the indicated category, providing a level of confidence as the company pushes the project towards production. To further de-risk the development, Venus has completed two diamond holes to support geotechnical analysis and metallurgical test work. Samples are now in the hands of ALS Laboratory Group for metallurgical evaluation to fine-tune gold recoveries and optimise the pit design. With additional data in hand, Venus says it expects to deliver a revised mineral resource estimate at Bellchambers within the next month. Apart from providing a tasty uplift in the size of the resource, the update will also offer further valuable insights into pit optimisation studies and mine layout plans. These plans are in the hands of an experienced Kalgoorlie-based mining engineering team. The upgraded lease additionally allows Venus to finalise a mining development and closure proposal. The company is fielding contractor quotes to get that box ticked. Moving on to processing, Venus is in advanced discussions on a possible farm gate sale or toll treatment with nearby Rox Resources. Rox owns and operates the Youanmi gold project, which hosts 16.2 million tonnes at a grade of 4.4 grams per tonne for 2.3 million ounces of gold. The project, 70km south of Bellchambers, is in the latter stages of a final investment decision on its own development. A straight ore sale or a processing agreement with Rox would neatly sidestep the need for Venus to build a standalone plant, thereby front-loading cash flow from the project and negating the huge capital costs involved. Elsewhere at the company's Henderson project near Menzies, early drilling under the historic Hilltop mine has hit paydirt and is shaping up as another standout project. A juicy intercept of 4m going 10.3g/t gold, including a blazing 1m at 25.1g/t, suggests the old workings still have plenty of sting in the tail. Rock chip samples collected nearby have turned up grades as high as 77g/t, adding more fuel to the fire. A follow-up drilling campaign is already on the drawing board. Meanwhile, on another of its leases near Youanmi, Venus has uncovered what could be a copper monster. A recent ground survey revealed a whopping 5000 Siemens electromagnetic anomaly. The company is now targeting the eye-catching bullseye with reverse circulation and diamond drilling. Results are expected within weeks. Shallow zinc hits in the same area are also in line for infill drilling, with an updated resource potentially on the horizon. Adding to Venus' extensive inventory, the company owns 55 million shares in Rox worth $17.35 million and a 1 per cent royalty over the Youanmi mine. The royalty was independently valued 12 months ago at $9.5 million, when gold prices were 40 per cent lower. With so many irons in the fire and a market capitalisation of $21 million - backed by almost $18.5 million in cash and liquid assets - Venus has built a compelling story. By adding a granted mining lease across 30,000 ounces of gold, the company appears locked and loaded to move up the development curve and potentially onto the list of WA's next producers. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
