UK’s defense firm QinetiQ launches Jackdaw disposable unmanned aircraft

Europe, News September 18, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

British defense manufacturer QinetiQ launched its Jackdaw uncrewed aerial system (UAS) concept to deliver substantial and cost-effective combat mass and battlespace capabilities.

According to the QinetiQ statement, the drone is designed to conduct swarming and collaborative autonomous missions with crewed and uncrewed teaming. Jackdaw aims to fulfill multiple missions including “reconnaissance, electronic warfare, airborne decoy, and threat representation”.

“Jackdaw will enable our armed forces to reduce operational risk and increase combat mass by rapidly deploying large numbers of UAS in scenarios currently dependent upon small numbers of expensive crewed aerial platforms. By teaming large numbers of Jackdaw with other UAS and crewed platforms, mission effectiveness will be enhanced, the threat to human lives mitigated and the cost of conducting operations significantly reduced,” the company stated in a press release.

The Jackdaw disposable drone can be integrated with existing crewed systems and effectively jam enemy systems. The drone can carry 30kg of internal payload with a flight endurance of over three hours. It can reach a maximum speed of up to 400 kts (740 kilometers/460 mph) and altitudes of 30,000 ft.

*^{Jackdaw Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) infographic. (Image Credit: QinetiQ)}*

Global Campaign Director of Robotics & Autonomous Systems at QinetiQ, Mick Andrae said, “The Jackdaw concept leverages QinetiQ’s expertise in very low-cost high-performance aerial targets—such as the Banshee family—and is enhanced with autonomous mission management and human-machine teaming capabilities.”

“Jackdaw’s autonomous goal-based mission management system is intended to integrate with NATO and allied open architectures, ensuring interoperability with existing and future crewed and uncrewed systems. This, combined with the very low-cost aerial target design philosophy, makes Jackdaw highly suitable for use as a disposable UAS in air, maritime, and land domain applications,” Andrae added.

The British defense firm is currently developing the Jackdaw concept for four main use cases, including reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, utilizing electronic warfare, making active and passive decoys to protect high-value systems, and providing operators with swarming threats by creating complex threat representation.

QinetiQ Jackdaw uncrewed aerial system — *^{British defense firm QinetiQ’s Jackdaw uncrewed aerial system. (Image Credit: QinetiQ)}*

QinetiQ is also collaborating with British firm BAE Systems on autonomous uncrewed air systems (UAS) and mission management systems. According to the QinetiQ official statement, the company signed a framework agreement with BAE Systems “to support interoperability with existing and future crewed and uncrewed systems; generating operational effects and providing a concentration of combat air power”.

Mick Andrae said, “Our collaboration with BAE Systems enables future mission-critical operations to be conducted without the traditional costs associated. All of this will provide our customers with better intelligence, protection, and capability to defend against adversaries and protect our national interests.”