NZ-made drones ready to take on best

By SCOTT MacLEOD defence reporter

Small drone aircraft able to spy on enemy territory and hunt for missing people are being built in Auckland - for a fraction of what they would cost overseas.

Two prototypes of the unmanned aircraft have been built at the Defence Technology Agency site at Devonport Naval Base.

The battery-powered aircraft are fitted with global positioning devices so they can be controlled from the ground by computer.

An operator can move a swivel-mounted camera inside the plane to seek out enemy troops or - for example - a boatie missing at sea.

Drone aircraft made headlines during the Gulf War as the United States used its unmanned Predator to spy on Iraqi soldiers and fire missiles at ground targets.

The Auckland-made drone, called Konihi, is much smaller then Predator but is similar to another United States system called Dragon Eye.

Konihi and Dragon Eye can both be set up quickly by a single soldier on the ground and are similar in speed, size, flight-time and weight.

But there is one big difference: Konihi can be built for around $5000, whereas Dragon Eye costs $85,000.

Dragon Eye's cost includes the ability to scan the ground with infra-red gear.

Konihi's designer, Phil Strong, said his aircraft could also be fitted with infra-red, for an extra $5000 or so.

Mr Strong had been working on Konihi part-time for two years with the help of electronics technician Theo Zlatanov.

The prototypes were partly built with off-the-shelf airframes. They were fitted with gear to measure speed, altitude and acceleration.

Drone aircraft are generally cheaper than manned aircraft and can be sent into danger without risking lives.

Mr Strong said Konihi would have been useful in East Timor. The Army was keeping a close eye on the project, but it could also be used for search and rescue and aerial surveying.

"There's plenty of people who want one," he said. "But if you buy one from overseas, then they're expensive and don't last long."

Mr Zlatanov, who is building circuit boards for Konihi, said one advantage of its small size, quiet engine and high cruising speed of around 45km/h was that it was hard to spot from the ground.

Mr Strong is working on an autopilot which will allow Konihi to fly by itself to a pre-set location - allowing its operator to concentrate on working the camera.

Attack of the drones

Predator (surveillance/attack)

Built by:General Atomics, US Weight: 431kg

Endurance: 40 hours+ Range: 730km Cost: $7.8 million

Dragon Eye (surveillance drone)

Developed by: Naval Research Laboratory, Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory, US Weight: 2.3kg

Endurance: 1 hour Range: 10km Cost: $85,000

Konihi (surveillance drone)

Developed by: Defence Technology Agency, Auckland, NZ

Weight: 2.5kg Endurance: 1 hour Range: 25km Cost: $5000