Micro Air Vehicle Designed To Increased Troop Safety Throughout
The Region
Lance Corporal Rob McInerney is currently working at the
forefront of counter-IED operations in Afghanistan, piloting the
'Flying Robot' ... part of the "Talisman" counter-IED
system.
Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)
Talisman has been designed to provide an increased level of
assurance along routes throughout the region. It consists of a
suite of cutting-edge equipment, including armored vehicles,
optical cameras and remote-controlled vehicles. This life-saving
equipment is being used to support combat logistic patrols, which
can comprise several hundred vehicles and trek through the country
delivering vital supplies to bases for the troops on the front
line.
Lance Corporal Rob McInerney, serves with 15 Field Support
Squadron, part of 38 Engineer Regiment - the first troops to use
the new system on the ground in Afghanistan. See Related News. His
role is to pilot the MAV (Micro Air Vehicle), otherwise known as
the 'Flying Robot' or 'T-Hawk'. "The MAV is a great piece of kit
and complements the rest of the equipment," he said. "The MAV has
two cameras which feed information back to a laptop so that the
commander is then better placed to make decisions. We have been
involved in a few contacts on a couple of the operations that we
have been on, which made the day interesting! The most satisfying
part of the tour for me is when we get the guys to their
destination safely; after all, that is the aim of our job!"
Lance Corporal McInerney has been with 15 Field Support
Squadron, based in Ripon, North Yorkshire, since they re-roled from
a Field Support Squadron in which he was a plant operator. "It has
been good to learn something new but I am looking forward to
getting back to plant," he said.
He is also looking forward to getting back to the UK to see his
fiancee, Laura, and his daughter, Anna, who is only five months
old. "She was born two weeks before I came out here so it will be
amazing to see the difference in her now," he said.
Talisman is a suite of vehicles, operated by the Royal
Engineers, that clears routes of IEDs and mines. It was bought as
an Urgent Operational Requirement worth more than $280 million.
Each Talisman system consists of:
- A Mastiff 2 protected patrol vehicle.
- A Buffalo mine protected vehicle, with a rummaging arm.
- A JCB high mobility engineer excavator.
- A Micro Air Vehicle.
- A Talon tracked, remote-controlled robot.