Dynetics flies second X-61A Gremlins air vehicle

Leidos subsidiary Dynetics Inc. successfully tested a second X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle (GAV), as well as the Gremlins airborne recovery system at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The series of tests focused on risk reduction, as well as system and subsystem performance verification, in preparation for an airborne recovery test later this year. The overarching goal of the Gremlins program, managed by DARPA's Tactical Technology Office, is to demonstrate aerial launch and recovery of multiple low-cost reusable unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

The test series involved all segments of the Gremlins Demonstration System, including GAVs, the launch and recovery system, the airborne operator control station, and the Gremlins command, control, and communications system. The test flight originally scheduled for earlier this spring was delayed due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

"We have taken a major step forward towards accomplishing airborne recovery, and we are ever so close to achieving it," said Tim Keeter, program manager for the Dynetics Gremlins team. "Our second GAV flown to date performed very well, which increases our confidence in the X-61A. And for the first time, we rendezvoused and flew in close formation with the recovery C-130 multiple times using the Gremlins Autonomous Docking System (GADS). Multiple captive tests were also conducted for the first time, with actively controlled GAVs attached to the stabilized towed docking device. This demonstrated the ability of the recovery system to safely reel in and stow GAVs once they have docked. The data collected from these tests will provide the necessary information to perform final tuning of GADS."

The second X-61A flew for a total flight time of 2 hours and 12 minutes, flying in formation with the C-130 as close as 125ft behind and 125ft below the C-130. At the end of the test, the GAV was recovered on the ground using the parachute system.

"Our team was excited to fly the GAV for a second time following the delays caused by the global pandemic," said Brandon Hiller, Dynetics X-61A chief engineer. "While we successfully tested both the GAV and recovery system, we decided during the mission to stop short of docking. We now have additional data, which will help us tune the system and further validate our models. These results are encouraging and present higher confidence to achieve airborne recovery in our next flight."

The Dynetics Gremlins team consists of Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems, Williams International, Applied Systems Engineering Inc., Kutta Technologies Inc., Moog Inc., Sierra Nevada Corp., Systima Technologies Inc. and Airborne Systems. Additional support for the flight test included Dugway's Rapid Integration and Acceptance Center (RIAC), International Air Response and High-G Technologies.

The maiden flight of the X-61A occurred in November 2019.