General Atomics ‘Avenger’ Trials UTAS MS-177 Sensor

2016-04-21

The US Air Force’s next-generation multispectral camera, the UTC Aerospace Systems (UTAS) MS-177, has been successfully flown on the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems “Predator C” Avenger aircraft.

The semi-stealthy, unmanned hunter-killer aircraft has been under development by General Atomics in Poway, California since 2009 and the air branch is the only acknowledged customer.

Even though the Avenger hasn’t attracted significant sales interest, the armed, low-observable aircraft forms the basis of General Atomics Sea Avenger proposal for the US Navy’s MQ-XX Carrier-Based Aerial Refueling System (CBARS) programme.

Chris Pehrson, the company’s senior director of strategic development, tells Flightglobal that the MS-177 demonstration involved seven flights, performed in January and February. He says it was a one-off demonstration and Avenger probably won’t become the host platform for the MS-177, since the air force has no programme of record – or designation – for the aircraft.

The USAF does, however, plan to integrate the MS-177 with Northrop Grumman’s high-altitude RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk, which flies 10,00ft higher than the Avenger.

Imagery from the sensor is classified and photos of the flight have not yet been approved by the air force, but Pehrson confirmed the demonstration went “very well”.

“They used it to look at some land and maritime objects,” he says. “The integration and the flight demo and datalink software worked as expected. They’re very happy with the results.”

The sensor can pivot 20° to achieve a wider field of view. The Avenger is the only aircraft known to have flown with it since a Northrop E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) demonstration in 2011. The RQ-4 is destined to become the first aircraft to carry it operationally, barring any classified deployments.

A spokesman for the air force’s Big Safari office at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio confirmed in an email that there are no future plans, or aircraft designation, for the Avenger demonstrator.

“In accordance with the 2011 defense appropriation act, the air forceprocured prototype demonstration capabilities of the Avenger system,” the air force says. “The demonstration has completed and there are no current plans for future demonstrations.”

The air force confirmed that the MS-177 will now be provided to Northrop Grumman Global Hawk programme as government furnished equipment in January 2017 for testing.

An RQ-4 modified with Northrop’s “universal payload adaptor” demonstration functionality with the current-generation SYER-2C earlier this year as part of the government’s ongoing “sensor re-host” effort. The company plans to test compatibility with the U-2’s Optical Bar Camera next before moving onto the MS-177.

Category: UAV

2019-08-23

Remote GeoSystems Conducts BVLOS Geospatial Video Pipeline Inspection in China

Remote GeoSystems, Inc., a global provider of immersive geospatial video, photo and data recorders and reporting software for survey and inspection, and Xi’an ARTEL Technology, Inc., China’s leading developer/operator of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) inspection UAVs, are pleased to announce the successful deployment of complementary geospatial data systems for long distance day and night drone pipeline patrol operations.

2019-08-23

Avion Unmanned Wins Multi-State Contract To Provide Unmanned Aircraft System Services For The Public Sector

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2019-08-20

Maiden Flight for Russian 6-Tonne Altius-U

The Russian Defence Ministry has posted a video of the maiden flight of a 6-tonne Altius-U drone, capable of being in the air for more than 24 hours.

2019-08-20

Taiwan Displays Anti-Radiation Loitering Munition

Taiwan’s National Chung-Shan Institute of Science & Technology (NCSIST) – the country’s principal defence science research and development agency – showcased the production-ready version of the Chien Hsiang anti-radiation loitering munition and its mobile launcher vehicle for the first time at the 2019 Taipei Aerospace & Defense Technology Exhibition (TADTE), which was held in Taipei from 15 to 17 August.

2019-08-15

EHang to Build Autonomous Drone Network to Cover Chinese Metropolis

Residents of Chinese metropolis Guangzhou can soon expect to see autonomous drones flitting over the city after drone manufacturer EHang announced the launch of its first urban air mobility pilot city program this past week.

2017-09-26

Now Australian Military Also Bans DJI Products

Australia’s Department of Defence has established “revised operating procedures” for small unmanned aircraft, an action that follows a U.S. Army directive to its units in August to stop using drones manufactured by China’s DJI because of “cyber vulnerabilities.”

2017-09-26

China’s Tengoen Unveils Armed UAVs

Chinese company Tengoen unveiled a series of armed reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the 14th China–ASEAN Expo in Nanning from 12 to 15 September, including two fixed-wing and two vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs.

2017-09-11

Intel Launches Aerial Data Analytics Platform

The newly announced Intel Insight Platform is a cloud-based data processing, analytics and reporting service that allows customers to store, share, and manage the rich data that commercial drone systems provide.

2017-09-11

AUDS Counter-Drone System Enhanced for Vehicle Deployment and to Defeat Swarm Attacks

The AUDS counter-UAS defence system has been enhanced for deployment on military and commercial security and surveillance vehicles and with new technology to more effectively defeat swarm attacks by malicious unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), including long-range winged drones.

2017-09-04

Disguised Drones Boost Wildlife Management

Wildlife management is getting a little more scientific. Saxon Remote Systems, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial systems in McPherson, is flying into the market with technology to make current wildlife management methods easier and more precise.

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Reports

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