General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) joined forces with BAE Systems to demonstrate advanced electronic warfare capabilities backed by Data Link 16 waveform for secure transmission of information.

The system was demonstrated in flight at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon flight operations facility in El Mirage, California and is notably part of a series of technology insertion and autonomous flights performed using internal research and development funding.

This private initiative of the company is intended to improve the chances of securing lucrative contracts relating to the US Air Force program for the acquisition of hundreds of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The cooperation with BAE Systems saw the MQ-20 identify threats and proceed to electronically jam them, operating and flying autonomously but under overall control of a remote operator, made possible through a secure Link 16 networking waveform to disseminate the information.

BAE, a specialist in EW and aircraft self-protection, notably in charge for the F-35’s own EW and self-defence suite, provided unspecified, customized EW capabilities, a multi-functional processor (MFP), and the Link 16 terminal. Command, Command, control, and status of the EW system was made possible through software-based, open-mission-system (OMS) compliant message translation hosted on the Multi-Functional Processor. T

he MQ-20 AVENGER, a stealthy and jet-powered platform closely related to the successful PREDATOR/REAPER/GUARDIAN family of RPAS, is being used extensively by the USAF as a test bed for autonomy development (for example flying with the SKYBORG autonomous core) and for maturation of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concepts and options.

When the time came, back in April, to award the contracts for the Increment 1 CCA demonstrators, however, GA-ASI was selected but not with the AVENGER but rather with the XQ-67A, which the USAF had also already picked earlier for the parallel Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) project. GA-ASI had announced its intention to continue exploiting the AVENGER as a supporting test and development platform.

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