BAE Systems has shown, for the first time, how multiple unmanned air and land vehicles can work under the command of a number of battlefield commanders to deliver vital reconnaissance and surveillance information to front-line troops.

The demonstration showed how two unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and two unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) can pass information between themselves and their command centres, while allowing control of the vehicles to be passed between different command systems in real time.

Andy Wright, Capability Augmentation Manager for BAE Systems, said that in battlefield situations, being able to seamlessly pass control of unmanned vehicles between different stations was vitally important. "In this kind of operation, it's critical that the payload - in this case, vital surveillance and reconnaissance information - and that the tasking of an unmanned asset is transferred quickly and effectively between commanders on the battlefield."

The demonstration was part of BAE Systems' Capability Augmentation Programme, and took place at Apex, the Company's newly developed systems integration, visualisation and experimentation facility in New Malden.

Using systems and software technology from across BAE Systems, including Aerosystems International, BAE Systems Australia, Integrated System Technologies, Electronic and Information Systems and Military Air Solutions, the demonstration allowed researchers to examine the technological challenges of managing multiple unmanned air and ground vehicles in a manned environment, de-conflicting UAV flight paths and planning and re-planning missions based on new mission goals and threats.

The demonstration was the first in a series of trials that will lead to a live vehicle demonstration at BAE Systems' West Sale test facility in Australia in November this year.