General Atomics Aeronautical Systems today provided an update on recent accomplishments of its U.S. Army UAS and radar programs.
At the Army’s Manned-Unmanned Systems Integration Capability (MUSIC) exercise held September 16 at Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah, GA-ASI’s Gray EagleTM UAS utilized a Triclops sensor suite to showcase an enhanced situational awareness capability. Consisting of three Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensors, the Triclops system was controlled simultaneously from three geographically dispersed and distinct types of Ground Control Stations (GCS), which in turn independently tracked three separate targets. While the primary Raytheon AN/AAS-53 Common Sensor Payload (CSP) under the nose was operated via a Ku-Band tactical common data link from AAI’s Universal GCS, two Raytheon DAS-2 sensors under the wings were operated separately by soldiers on the ground using a bidirectional One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) and Aerovironment’s Mini-Universal GCS designed for use with Raven and Puma small UAS.
“MUSIC displayed what talented companies can accomplish to support the warfighter when we work closely together,” said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. “We were pleased to showcase our new ‘Triclops’ capability at this great event.”
On the radar side of the house, the company’s Lynx® Block 30 Multi-mode Radar operating on Gray Eagle UAS in-theater have amassed more than 9,000 flight hours, analyzed over 33,400 images, generated over 800 confirmed target area activity reports, and confirmed five IED finds. The radars have been deployed on four Gray Eagle UAS in Iraq since December 2009 and on an additional four aircraft in Afghanistan since September 2010 as part of the Army’s Quick Reaction Capability (QRC) -1 and -2 programs.
In the meantime, GA-ASI’s Lynx Block 20 Multi-mode Radar will soon be deployed on three Sky Warrior Alpha UAS operating in Afghanistan following the award of $5.8 million contract on September 28. Featuring photographic-quality resolution, the radars are expected to enhance the situational awareness of the aircraft, detecting time-sensitive targets and offering a long-range, wide-area surveillance, as well as high-resolution change detection capability. The Lynx Block 20 has been deployed on Sky Warrior Alphas in Iraq since 2006.
“The Lynx Block 30 and Block 20 radars are making a difference to our and coalition troops, providing timely situational awareness and threat-warning in support of tactical operations,” said Linden Blue, president, Reconnaissance Systems Group, GA-ASI. “We are encouraged that these capabilities have been made available to more Army soldiers in recent years.”
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