Studying how insects navigate there way around has led to a breakthrough in smart weapon seeker and guidance technology, the Australian Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon has announced.
Mr Snowdon unveiled the demonstration technology, called Bioseeker, at the Australian International Air Show in Avalon.
The Defence Department plans to incorporate the final Bioseeker technology into low-cost, miniaturised and rugged add-on devices that provide autonomous guidance to airborne systems, increasing their ability to acquire, track and strike moving targets.
The Bioseeker technology has a range of possible defence applications, including enhancing the capability of the rocket on the Aussie Tiger Helicopter, various air-delivered weapons and shoulder-launched or mortar-based land weapons.
Mr Snowdon said that the research, conducted under the capability and technology demonstrator (CTD) programme, would improve the ability of the Defence Force to strike moving targets in the air and land environments.
“The Bioseeker technology is another example of the value of the CTD programme. This programme continues to generate new and exciting ideas which can only be good for defence capability,” Snowdon said.
The Bioseeker technology will undergo final testing in the second half of 2009, using the Australian developed Cybird UAV as a platform. The test will involve guiding the UAV to strike a moving land target.
The technology has been developed by the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) with the support of several small to medium enterprises under the CTD programme.
By Daniel Garrun.
