BAE Systems Phoenix

Lore & Background

The Phoenix was developed from Project Phoenix, a late 1970s study into surveillance and target acquisition needs after the cancellation of the Westland MRUASTAS. Its first flight was in 1986, with an expected service entry in 1989, but the project suffered numerous delays and eventually entered service in 1999. The UAV was made of Kevlar and other plastics, and its sensor payload, built around an infrared imager, was carried in a pod slung well under the fuselage to avoid obstruction by the front-mounted propeller.

The Phoenix was launched from a zero-length rail mounted on a truck, a system originally developed for the US Army Aquilla UAV that failed to enter service. Recovery was by parachute, with the aircraft landing on its back and a crushable hump absorbing the impact. The zero-length take-off and landing was an essential requirement for operating in NATO's Central Region and deployment in a forward divisional area. Up to two UAVs could be controlled from the same ground station, and a second UAV could be launched within eight minutes of the first.

The system saw limited operational use in Kosovo as part of the British contribution to Kosovo Force (KFOR) and in Iraq during Operation Telic. Attrition was high in Iraq, though British Army officials stated that some losses were due to deliberate sacrifices, keeping the UAV on station beyond recovery to avoid losing targets. The final operational sortie was in May 2006, and the system was formally retired on 20 March 2008.

Reader's Guide

The Phoenix represented a significant step in British Army battlefield surveillance, providing real-time imagery directly to a ground control station for analysis and dissemination to artillery headquarters via the Battlefield Artillery Target Engagement System (BATES). Its all-weather, day-or-night capability and rapid launch within an hour of reaching a site made it suited for forward divisional areas. However, the project's long development—from first flight in 1986 to service entry in 1999—highlighted the challenges of fielding a complex UAV system. The high attrition rate during Operation Telic, while partly attributed to deliberate tactical sacrifices, underscored the operational risks of such systems. The Phoenix was operated by the 32nd and 39th Regiments Royal Artillery. Its retirement led to the Watchkeeper competition, won by a Thales-led group in late 2004, which produced the Watchkeeper WK450 system based on the Elbit Hermes 180 and Hermes 450. An interim Hermes 450 was deployed operationally in 2007, and the 32nd Regiment also used the Desert Hawk UAV.

Did You Know?

• The Phoenix was a 'tractor' aircraft with the propeller in front, requiring the sensor payload to be carried in a pod slung well under the fuselage.
• Its launch rail was originally developed for the US Army Aquilla UAV, which failed to enter service.
• The UAV was recovered by parachute and landed on its back, with a crushable hump absorbing the impact.
• British Army officials stated that some losses in Iraq were due to deliberate sacrifices to keep the UAV on station beyond recovery.