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Unmanned surveillance aircraft flown by the Australian Defence Force are already being used as part of the "kill chain", according to the RAAF chief, who has stopped short of saying when he believes this country will get its first armed drones.
Key points:
- The RAAF chief says unmanned drones are being used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance
- He said Defence was hoping to drive down the prices of drones
- This weekend 200,000 people are expected to visit the air show
Australia last year cancelled plans to acquire its first lethal drone technology known as SkyGuardian, more than 20 years after the United States military first deployed the killer Predator drone in Afghanistan.
Air Force Chief Air Marshal Rob Chipman says while the RAAF does not yet operate unmanned aerial systems (UAS) with weapons, drones are still being used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) during deadly Australian missions.
"Unmanned systems already contribute as part of the kill chain, even as they are unarmed," he said during a briefing at the Avalon International Airshow in Victoria.
"They're picking up information, they're identifying adversaries, they're generating coordinates for bombs or for attack missiles that are completing the kill chain.
"So, they are already part of our system that's delivering combat power, even if they're not necessarily armed themselves."
The RAAF chief has also revealed Defence was looking to drive down the price of unmanned aircraft to the point where they cost roughly 10 per cent of a traditional piloted aircraft.
"If you're looking at the sort of throwaway handheld UAS [unmanned aircraft system] that our army is operating, then they're cheap and cheerful," he said.
"If you look at something like an MQ 28 (Ghost Bat), that is not a cheap UAS.
"But the price point, and where it really looks interesting to us, is if we can get it to about a tenth of the cost of a manned fighter.
"If we get 10 per cent, then I can start to build the mass and survivability of not just man platforms, but the entire air combat system. That's the price point. That's what we're interested in."
This week, the air force chief hinted at a looming push to acquire large numbers of low-cost lethal drones to give the defence force greater "mass" to take on well-armed adversaries, prompting speculation the recently completed Defence Strategic Review (DSR) would suggest more purchases.
Defence Minister Richard Marles on Friday confirmed the government's formal response to the highly anticipated DSR has been delayed until next month.
"The government has the review, it was presented to us in the last couple of weeks, we will be releasing an unclassified version of the review along with the government's response to it in April," he told reporters at Avalon.
200,000 plane spotters expected to flock to air show
Air Marshall Chipman has just hosted 22 air force chiefs from across the globe at the Avalon Airshow, and this weekend 200,000 aviation enthusiasts are expected to visit the air show as it opens to the public for the first time in four years.
"We have 200,000 people that will visit the air show and we'd like all of them to think about a career in defence," he said.
"We think we've got a great offering, there's amazing technology, a real sense of purpose about our organisation and they get to work with a great team."
The Defence Department confirmed to the ABC that it did not invite China and Russia to take part in the gathering of military chiefs earlier this week at the Avalon International Airshow.