General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has successfully completed flight testing of a newly developed Self-Protection Pod (SPP) on an MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA).
The project was executed on Oct. 28 last year as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), and with the support of the Air National Guard (ANG), the U.S. Navy (USN), and industry partners Raytheon Intelligence & Space, BAE Systems, Leonardo, Leonardo DRS, and Terma North America.
During the testing, the MQ-9 was able to successfully track Radio Frequency (RF) and Infrared (IR) missile threats, deploy countermeasures, and provide real-time threat awareness and protection in a simulated contested environment.
“Threat awareness and survivability are critical capabilities needed to enable the MQ-9 to operate in a contested environment,” said GA-ASI President, David R. Alexander. “GA-ASI is committed to expanding the mission envelope of the MQ-9 to enable not only the warfighters’ needs of today, but also to ensure the platform remains a survivable, capable, and highly adaptable platform for the future fight.”
SPP leverages mature (TRL9), state-of-the-art Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) to provide full-spectrum awareness and countermeasures. The system is built upon an earlier joint demonstration of a podded AN/ALR-69A(V) Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) in 2017, which demonstrated the utility of an RWR to enhance aircrew situational awareness.
In addition to the RI&S AN/ALR-69A(V), the pod features the Leonardo DRS AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure (DAIRCM) System that utilizes a single sensor for both 2-color IR missile warning and wide field-of-view gimbal for threat countermeasures. The BAE Systems ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser System is used for dispensing airborne flares, chaff, and other airborne decoys. The RF countermeasure of choice demonstrated successfully during testing was Leonardo’s BriteCloud Expendable Active Decoy (EAD), which is a small, self-contained Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM)-based expendable decoy.
At the heart of the Self-Protection Pod is the Terma AN/ALQ-213 Electronic Warfare Management System, which provides the interface, health, status, and command and control for the various systems installed in the pod. The AN/ALQ-213 functions as the Aircraft Survivability Equipment (ASE) manager that coordinates between the various threat warning and dispensing systems to automatically dispense the appropriate sequencing pattern and expendables to protect the MQ-9.
AirAsia marks the beginning of the airline's first flight from Ahmedabad, India, to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, enhancing air links between…
BlueHalo and Kraken Technology Group are partnering to integrate BlueHalo’s Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML)-backed autonomous mission systems into…
8tree’s dentCHECK inspection tool, developed for and used within the MRO sector for dent-mapping, is now being utilized at Boeing’s…
Hensoldt UK has been chosen by Navantia UK to provide key systems for the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s (RFA) three…
Embraer delivered its 1800th E-Jet aircraft with the handover of third E190-E2 to Royal Jordanian Airlines at Embraer’s facility in…
Havelsan, a Turkiye software and systems company, has attained the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Level D certification for…
ST Engineering Marine Ltd, a subsidiary of ST Engineering, has secured a contract with the Singapore Ministry of Defence for…
Airbus Helicopters has secured a contract with Brunei's Ministry of Defence for the procurement of six H145M helicopters. “We are…
Following the official launch last March, AirAsia Cambodia flew its inaugural domestic flight today, marking a major step in the…
Global passenger demand, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs), was up 13.8% in March this year compared to the same…
Exel Composites, a Finnish composites manufacturer, announced a collaboration with French airship designer and operator Flying Whales. The partnership aims…
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and the state-owned airline of Angola, TAAG Angola Airlines E.P., have entered a six-year agreement…
Indonesia’s Ruang volcano erupted again on Tuesday (Apr. 30), leading to the cancellation of flights and closure of airports in…
Defense Technology Institute (DTI) Thailand has delivered two prototypes of the 105mm light howitzer CS/AH2 to the Artillery Battalion, Artillery…
Airbus has announced the launch of the Pléiades Neo Next programme, aimed at bolstering its high-resolution Earth observation satellite constellation,…
Eve Air Mobility joins Japan’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Public-Private Committee, as announced by the company’s press release on Tuesday…
ACIA Aero Leasing, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, announced the successful delivery of one of two ATR 72-500 Bulk Freighters to…
One TPS-P14ME Mobile Air Surveillance Radar System from Japan was officially handed over to the Philippines Air Force (PAF). The…
Skyllence, an international air charter broker, announced the appointment of Kestutis Abarius as Head of Sales on Monday (Apr. 29).…
Qatar Airways and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have reaffirmed their commitment to aiding the most vulnerable…
The Philippines Coast Guard (PCG) is set to acquire an additional five Multi-Role Response Vessels (MRRVs) from Japan. These vessels…
Korean Air is set to open a new daily route connecting Seoul Incheon with Macau starting 1 July 2024, as…
Qatar Airways Cargo announced the opening of its advanced Animal Centre and the relaunching of its Next Generation Live product…
All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Air India, India's national flag carrier, have established a commercial agreement to initiate a codeshare…
Saab has completed the delivery of another GlobalEye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft to the United Arab Emirates…
In what seems to be a continuation of Vietnam’s Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang's visit to South Korea in…
GD Helicopter Finance (GDHF), a Dublin-based helicopter leasing and finance company, has secured a contract with Airbus Helicopters and GDAT,…
Indian Low-Cost Carrier (LCC) IndiGo has announced a firm order for 30 Airbus A350-900 aircraft in what is its first…
Racer demonstrator, developed by Airbus Helicopters as part of the European Research Clean Sky 2 initiative, has completed its inaugural…
Lockheed Martin Australia has secured an AUD$500 million contract with the Australian Department of Defence to develop the country’s future…
Headquartered in Singapore with reporters spread across all major regions, GBP Aerospace & Defence is a leading media house that publishes three publications that serve the aerospace and defence sector - Asian Defence Technology, Asian Airlines & Aerospace and Daily News. Known industry-wide for quality journalism, GBP Aerospace & Defence is present at more international tradeshows and exhibitions than any other competing publication in the region.
For over three decades, our award-winning team of reporters has been producing top-notch content to help readers stay abreast of the latest developements in the field of commercial aviation, MRO, defence, and Space.
Copyright 2024. GBP. All Rights Reserved.
Home Defence & Security Space Commercial Aviation Maintence Repair & Overhaul Daily News Events About Us
2024 GBP all rights reserved.