Airborne military technology developed to track the Taleban in Afghanistan will be deployed in England to spot muggers, stolen cars and even illegal immigrants arriving by sea.Police forces in Kent and Essex have begun a development project with BAE Systems, Europe
However, modern military UAVs are significantly more advanced and can change their missions to pursue a perceived threat or a criminal.BAE has begun to work with the police to determine how the Herti can be used by officers. Some test flights are expected within three years. The biggest hurdle that the technology faces is getting approval from the Civil Aviation Authority to use civilian airspace. This is particularly important in the South East, given the proximity of Gatwick, Stansted and other airports.
Richard Williams, BAE’s director of civil autonomous systems, said: “UAV capabilities are already available to the military and many of the same capabilities are desirable to the police. UAVs offer police the option of persistent surveillance, keeping a set of eyes open over a large area.”
BAE hopes that through the South Coast Partnership it will be able to develop Herti for civilian applications for the 2012 Olympic Games when they are held in London.
UAVs have a big advantage over traditional helicopter surveillance as they can stay in the air for up to 24 hours, depending on the equipment carried, rather than only two or three. In addition, they are much smaller and quieter than helicopters and military versions have been fitted with sensors to detect radiation, chemical and biological emissions.
Other defence companies, including Qinetiq and Thales UK, are developing UAV technologies. Thales won a £800 million contract two years ago to build 54 Watchkeeper UAVs, which will provide battlefield intelligence to the Army. Thales said that it was considering how the technology could be used in the civilian sector.
Critics said that such monitoring would add to concerns that Britain was becoming a surveillance society.
Shami Chakrabarti, the director of Liberty, the human rights group, said: “It’s a grave step in any democracy to use military surveillance methods against your own peacetime population. Where is the lawful authority for this policy? When was the parliamentary debate? A paradigm shift in privacy protection can’t be left to cosy little deals between big business and local police.”
Not to be messed with
Payload: 150kg, including full motion video, infrared sensor, three still cameras. Options include synthetic aperture radar, a target geo-location capability, target designation systems, electronic and signals intelligence sensors
Wingspan: 8m
Flight time: 20 hours
Weight: approx 750kg
Armament: up to four missiles and one 70mm cannon
Missions: Helmand, Afghanistan
Source: Defence journal estimates
