BAE Systems Australia’s groundbreaking technology that enables Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to land themselves has been awarded the inaugural National Defence Industry Innovation Award at the Australian International Airshow.

The award recognises innovation in the Australian aerospace industry.

The technology is an Intelligent Recovery System that enables UAVs to autonomously locate a suitable landing strip and land safely without relying on aids such as GPS, remote piloting or external systems.

When a landing strip is visible, the system uses visual or image-based clues and develops specific algorithms to land safely. The system is so clever that it can also calculate algorithms for moving platforms such as naval ships.

BAE Systems Chief Executive David Allott said this award underscores the company’s track record for delivering innovative solutions for customers.

“We have been leading the world in the development of autonomous systems and technologies for 15 years,” Allott said.

“The Intelligent Recovery System sets a new benchmark in autonomy for UAVs and it’s a testament to our highly skilled engineers that this cutting-edge work has been recognised with the inaugural National Defence Industry Innovation Award.”

Allott said the Intelligent Recovery System offered customers significant operational and safety benefits.

“This technology means UAVs can safely land in emergency situations without assistance – an innovation that not only protects the UAV and offers increased reliability, but has the potential to save lives. The Intelligent Recovery System can even be used for manned civil and military aircraft.”

Added benefits include reducing planning for missions and operator workload.

The technology is currently installed on BAE Systems Australia’s Kingfisher 2 UAV system and significant elements are embedded in the global company’s next generation of UAVs.