Rockwell Collins And DARPA Demonstrate Ability To Counter Missile Threats

As part of its ongoing damage tolerance research contract with the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Rockwell Collins has demonstrated the first unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to fly aerobatics with position tracking.

Rockwell Collins YouTube Screen Capture

"This all-attitude control technology supplies UAVs with damage tolerance and the ability to fight - through evasive maneuvers - and to counter threats such as missiles," said Dave Vos, senior director of Rockwell Collins Control Technologies and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). "This technology will also enable UAVs to fly at low altitude, in urban environments and even in confined places such as inside buildings and caves."

The capability was demonstrated by telling the airplane to track a circle at a fixed altitude and airspeed while rolling at 90 degrees per second outside the turn. The demonstration is part of the third phase of a damage tolerance contract awarded to Rockwell Collins. It was conducted using a scale model F/A-18 Hornet which was completely autonomous from the time the "takeoff" button was pushed.

Rockwell Collins YouTube Screen Capture

Vos said the technology is now set to be ported to an operational UAV. He indicated that while others have flown aerobatics of autonomous UAVs, the most recent DARPA test was the first UAV to fly aerobatics with position tracking with a fixed aerobatic trajectory in space. 

FMI: www.rockwellcollins.com, www.darpa.mil