UK MOD Drone Crashes in Northern Australia

I knew the UK test different drones in Australia, usually at Woomera. This one was being tested on the far northern part of Western Australia, I wonder if we’d ever have known about it if it didn’t crash.

The particular drone was an Airbus Zephyr, a solar powered craft that can stay at high altitudes indefinitely. I suspect it’s the model 8, which has a wing span of 28 metres.

Reports have emerged in recent days about a reconnaissance-style drone that crashed near the remote town of Wyndham in the state's far north. After inquiries by the ABC, a spokeswoman for Airbus said one of its aircraft was involved in an incident in the area during an experimental flight for the UK's defence department. The purpose of the flight remained unclear with state and federal authorities remaining tight-lipped on further details.

www.abc.net.au...

And some other information on Wikipedia..

en.m.wikipedia.org...

Nice bit of country up there.Just mind the Salties...They not long had a Cyclone go about those areas.
Wyndham

a reply to: Chadwickus

Why am I not surprised?

We have Pine Gap, US Naval Comms @ Exmouth, and who knows what else as part of the 5eyes.

And then the NT Govt leases a strategic Port to China for 99 years

Ya gotta laugh, otherwise the alternative is to shake your head and question your own sanity.

www.abc.net.au...

Leasing one of Australia's most important strategic assets

The simple reason why is "stupidity", said Neil James, executive director of the Australia Defence Association (ADA). Academics, politicians, lawyers, national security experts, viewers of Millionaire Hot Seat, the New York Times, even the former president of United States Barack Obama have all asked — how the hell was the sun-soaked NT Government allowed to lease off one of Australia's most important strategic assets to the Chinese without proper federal oversight? Here's how.

For years, the NT had lobbied the Commonwealth to invest millions in developing the rinky-dink Darwin Port that was only turning over a few million dollars annually in cattle, mining and gas interests.

www.google.com.au...

The United Kingdom conducted 12 major nuclear weapons tests in Australia between 1952 and 1957. These explosions occurred at the Montebello Islands, Emu Field and Maralinga. Several books have been written about nuclear weapons testing in Australia.

Testing or a demo flight for Australia to assess its capabilities?

The executive summary of the report on the tests will no doubt include this gem.

"Yeah mate. Nice plane, goes higher than a Kookaburra, not as fast as a Kangaroo, can see like a Wedge-tailed eagle. But Nah mate, no good. Falls out of the sky like a dead Drop Bear."

P

a reply to: Chadwickus

From you link

With up to 20 Airbus staff working on the project, the initiative was sold as part of an ongoing effort to establish an emerging space industry.

Emerging space industry???, "meanwhile we'll do some drone work...spying on Australia from 65,000 feet"

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

It's planned for the High Altitude Pseudo Satellite program, for maritime surveillance and communications. Australia is a great test area because of the remoteness.

a reply to: Zaphod58

Until something crashes..

Is this the model 8 you think?

a reply to: Chadwickus

It most likely is an 8.

a reply to: Zaphod58

That sounds so benign. And yet....


en.m.wikipedia.org...

In a 2008 demonstration for the US military, a smaller-scale version of the Zephyr (Zephyr 6) performed beyond the official world record for the longest-duration unmanned flight, however its 82-hour flight at an altitude of 61,000 ft (19,000 m) did not set an official record because FAI officials were not involved in the flight.[10]

The Zephyr system was sold to EADS Astrium (now Airbus Defence and Space) in March 2013 where it was successfully re-flown as part of the High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite (HAPS) programme [2] In 2014 it flew for 11 days in winter,[11] and later near civilian airspace.[12]

www.abc.net.au...

The Zephyr's wide ranging "civil and defence capabilities" were highlighted at the time of the announcement with the "unrestrictive airspace and reliable weather conditions" making the area a choice location.

With up to 20 Airbus staff working on the project, the initiative was sold as part of an ongoing effort to establish an emerging space industry.

A lot of double speak to keep people ignorant - which is what Chadwickus said

Chadwickus

I wonder if we’d ever have known about it if it didn’t crash.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

I guess I'm missing the menacing aspect of this testing?

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Yes, because there's a lot of information about it that's open source.

I really don't see the menace.

"Yeah mate. Nice plane, goes higher than a Kookaburra, not as fast as a Kangaroo, can see like a Wedge-tailed eagle. But Nah mate, no good. Falls out of the sky like a dead Drop Bear."

Internet winner for the day hahahahaha ..
Maritime surveillance is big here due to illegal immigrants coming down from Indonesia,illegal fishing trawlers coming down from well Indonesia and drugs coming down from...Indonesia...and others.

a reply to: RadioRobert

so you want baby steps?

US Military

Airbus defence

Crash

No comment

West State Govt no comment

Wikileaks extent of spying by Govts on their own citizens



When have any Western Govts ever lied to us or withheld information / sarcasm

a reply to: Zaphod58

And yet in another thread our Northern Territory Govt signed a 99 years lease to the Chinese on their major Port and we were laughed at by our American cousins as having no Federal oversight over strategic assets.

Give me a break....LOL...

Why should Australian citizens trust anything when these events are announced as fait accompli after signing, and no details are given "due to commercial confidentiality"

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

It's no different than anywhere else. Governments will do what they want and tell us later, no matter where you're talking about.

In the case of testing though, it's win/win. Whoever is testing gets to operate in a remote area, with almost no chance of being spotted, and the data, and sometimes the system itself, is run through Australian partners, giving a leg up to industry there.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

If the government wants to spy on you they'll get a hell of a lot more from your own electronic devices than they'd get from a drone at 60,000'+...

Not much to spy on other than the mating habits of Salties up there.As I said there is a lot of coastline to cover for illegal activity and its a part of our Defence plan.

a reply to: Chadwickus

It's all part of the Woomera prohibited area, even the north western part of the country.

Why would you need to know what's being tested?


The entire test area is actually the largest type of facility of it's kind in the world.
We (Australia) co-operate with allied countries such as the UK, USA, Japan, on many things. Some of those things are civilian in nature, others military. It's been happening for decades. What are those who are having a whinge about it so surprised about?
Even Japan tested new engine technologies in the outback.
Singapore's air force even uses Australian air space for training.

a reply to: mortex

It's all part of the Woomera prohibited area, even the north western part of the country.

Actually that's not quite correct. The Woomera range complex is contained entirely within Sth Australia. It is however as you state, the largest test range of its type in the world. It was larger many years ago during the nuclear testing days, but was later shrunk to "only" about 122,000km2+ today, hence why Maralinga is now outside the test range.

Woomera test range map

And I think you will find only one responder was trolling about the AIrbus drone crash. Most here are smart enough to avoid such hyperbole.

Yes, officially it's been scaled down to just the area within SA.
Where was this UK drone being tested and where did it crash? Within the north west area of WA, which coincidentally "used to be" part of the wider prohibited area.

a reply to: thebozeian