UAV team are among those honoured (From Salisbury Journal)

UAV team are among those honoured

12:52pm Thursday 25th June 2009

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SIGNIFICANT among this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours are the clutch of awards which have gone to members of the Royal Artillery, who have been working on Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) The OBE was awarded to Colonel Nicholas McRobb for his decisive role in the introduction into service of the UAV while he was commanding officer of 32 Regiment, Royal Artillery based at Larkhill.

Also with 32 Regt was Sergeant Paul Moody who was awarded the MBE. Paul is the most operationally-experienced UAV operator in the Army having completed nine operational tours in the last nine years.

Having started as part of the trials and development team for the Phoenix UAV in 1995, he went on to trial the Desert Hawk Mini UAV, travelling to America and working with Lockheed Martin. He is now working on the development of the Watchkeeper Tactical UAV system which he describes as a “huge capability leap which will bring us up to par with, if not ahead of, other nations which use them”.

“As soldiers do, as soon as you hear the CO wants to see you, you get a bit worried. When he told me I had been awarded an MBE I did a very good impression of a goldfish – my mouth was going up and down but no words were coming out.”

Major Erik Bengtsson was awarded an MBE for his development of the Watchkeeper Tactical UAV system while he was based at Larkhill Other awards include a KCB for Lieutenant General Nicholas Parker, the Commander Regional Forces based at HQLF, CBEs for Major General David McDowall, formally GOC of 2 Div and Colonel Kevin Haugh who was instrumental in the provision of wide ranging welfare packages not only for Army personnel, but their families as well.

OBE: Lieutenant Colonel Frazer Lawrence HQ LF, Colonel Neil Dalton AAC MBE Major Paul Blakesley, HQ LF, Major Mark Bairstow from Upavon, Major Joanne Devitt, RAMC from Tidworth, Captain Albert Keeling RAMC HQ LF. Major Paul Clayton MBE, currently based at Tidworth, Lieutenant Colonel Robert McPherson RA, who was pivotal in the move of the Royal Regiment of Artillery from Woolwich to Larkhill, and Major Victoria Reid HQ LF.

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