General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) has provided a glimpse of its new Sparrowhawk air-launched and air-recoverable unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) demonstrator in a 25 September announcement.
GA-ASI said it has conducted captive carry-flight testing of a Sparrowhawk demonstrator aboard a MQ-9A Reaper medium-altitude long endurance (MALE) UAV from 16–17 September, revealing that the MQ-9A was controlled using its Metis software hosted on a laptop computer, with communications and collaborative autonomy capabilities with the two air vehicles supported by the mobile ad hoc network (MANET)-based meshONE datalink.
The Sparrowhawk demonstrator seen mounted on a MQ-9A Reaper UAV with its main wing folded for carriage. (GA-ASI)
The company added that it had also tested the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA’s) Cooperation in Denied Environments (CODE) autonomy engine during the captive carry trial. CODE is described by the agency as a type of cognitive artificial intelligence (AI) software that enables the co-ordination of groups of UAVs under the supervisory control of a single person.
Imagery released by GA-ASI showed the Sparrowhawk demonstrator mounted on the inboard pylon of the MQ-9A’s starboard wing with design features including a large main wing that is stowed parallel with the fuselage during carriage, which swings 90° into a deployed position for independent flight.
The demonstrator also features a v-tail assembly at its rear and what appears to be an air intake for a jet turbine propulsion system along the lower right of the fuselage, although an earlier concept image released by the company on 15 September depicted the air vehicle with two rear-mounted ducted fans.
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