Surf Life Saving NSW and Babcock partner on long-range drones

A new partnership between Surf Life Saving NSW (SLSNSW) and defence and aerospace company Babcock Australasia seeks to pursue long-range drone technology and services that could radically transform NSW’s surf lifesaving operations into a broader national asset for disaster prevention, response and recovery.

A memorandum of understanding between the two parties, signed on 10 April, proposes to enhance the air observation and intelligence-gathering capabilities of the Australian UAV Service (AUAVS) — SLSNSW’s drone services arm — for search and rescue, environmental monitoring, shark watch, national disaster relief services, and maritime operations that mitigate the need for traditional rotary wing operations. The AUAVS is the largest provider of coastal drone surveillance programs in the Southern Hemisphere.

Babcock — known as a trusted platform provider in the fields of defence, aviation and critical services, aiding the Australian and New Zealand Defence Forces among other clients — will also work to support and boost existing service deliveries and expand operations into the beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS) space. Suitable solutions will be progressed through to testing, initially along the NSW Central Coast.

“This partnership presents some really exciting opportunities for the Australian UAV Service to continue to harness and expand the potential of drones as a lifesaving device,” AUAVS Manager James Bassam said.

“Perhaps most exciting is that this doesn’t just mean along the coastline either.

“It’s an opportunity for us to enhance the scale and quality of our existing services, but also push ourselves into the next phase of operations and expand beyond lifesaving services, which hopefully will put us at the forefront of drone-enabled disaster management and emergency response.”

According to SLSNSW CEO Steve Pearce, Babcock’s Remote Pilot Aircraft System (RPAS) technology is set to modernise and extend the capabilities of Surf Life Saving’s coastal and emergency response operations. On a broader level, the pathway to further evolution also intends to position the AUAVS as a national disaster prevention asset.

“Proactive and reactive missions, such as search and rescue, will benefit from greater operational agility, real-time data collection and increased reach,” Pearce said. “This will substantially improve detection, response times and success rates in both localised and large-scale incidents.”

Babcock Australasia CEO Andrew Cridland added, “A partnership between Babcock Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW presents a unique opportunity. Combining our complementary skills and capabilities for emergency management response means we will be able to respond more frequently and with greater levels of service to our customers.

“We know how important surveillance along our beaches and waterways can be, particularly in summer, so we welcome the opportunity to partner with AUAVS and utilise our aviation expertise to develop and deliver transformative long-range technologies and services that will help save lives.”

Image: Supplied.