Second Loyal Wingman tested

Photo credit: Boeing

Boeing Australia expanded its flight-test program of the Boeing Airpower Teaming System, with two aircraft successfully completing separate flight missions at the Woomera Range Complex.

Throughout the flight-test missions, the teams gathered aircraft performance data that will inform and refine the systems’ digital twin, with the view to accelerate the aircraft’s development. The digital twin models the system’s entire life cycle, from design and development to production and sustainment, and contributes to speed and first-time quality.

The flight tests of aircraft No. 1 included the first time the landing gear was raised and engaged. RUAG Australia supplied the landing gear systems to the aircraft, and BAE Systems Australia was integral in the design, supply, and support of the flight control and navigation systems tested during the flights.

Loyal Wingman aircraft are being developed for global defense customers. The aircraft will fly alongside other platforms, using artificial intelligence (AI) to team with existing crewed and uncrewed assets to complement mission capabilities. https://www.boeing.com/defense/ airpower-teaming-system

US Air Force orders cargo delivery drones

The U.S. Air Force, through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), has awarded Silent Arrow a contract for 15 cargo delivery drones for humanitarian and tactical uses.

Under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract, Silent Arrow’s 1-ton GD-2000 platform will be scaled down and redesigned as a new product line called the Silent Arrow Precision Guided Bundle (SA-PGB), which will initially be an autonomous cargo delivery glider. Specifications include 500 lb. max. weight, 350 lb. cargo capacity, 39" long, and deployable from high altitudes and air speeds from aircraft ranging from the civilian Cessna Caravan to the military C-17.

The SA-PGB will be designed and built at Silent Arrow’s headquarters in Irvine, California, then shipped to the company’s flight test center in Pendleton, Oregon, for operational evaluation. https://silent-arrow.com

AeroVironment wins foreign military sales contract

Photo credit: AeroVironment Inc.

Multi-domain robotic systems company AeroVironment Inc. received a $4.15 million U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract award to provide Puma 3 All Environment (AE) and Wasp AE small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), initial spares, training, and support to an allied nation.

The hand-launched Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2ft, weighs 15 lb., and can operate up to 2.5 hours. The aircraft also has a range of 12.4 miles (20km) with a standard range antenna, up to 37.2 miles (60km) with a long-range tracking antenna.

Wasp AE UAS, weighing a bit more than 1kg, has a mechanically stabilized gimbaled payload, enabling it to transmit advanced imagery in high-wind conditions, with manual or autonomous navigation.

AeroVironment’s small UAS comprise most of all unmanned aircraft in the U.S. DOD inventory, and its rapidly growing international customer base numbers more than 50 allied governments. https://www.avinc.com/uas