UK company demonstrates crewed-uncrewed teaming
The Banshee was equipped with QinetiQ’s Airborne Command and Control for Swarm Interoperable Missions (ACCSIOM) technology to allow communications between the UAV and the crewed jet. (Photo: QinetiQ)
QinetiQ’s aerial target drone, the Banshee, was modified to be controlled by a piloted aircraft.
QinetiQ has successfully tested the UK’s first crewed-uncrewed teaming (also known as manned-unmanned teaming or MUM-T) between an undefined company jet and a modified Banshee Jet 80 drone.
During the trial, the Banshee received orders and was controlled by the crewed aircraft, before it commenced conducting autonomous mission assignments, flying 350kt.
The Banshee was equipped with QinetiQ’s Airborne Command and Control for Swarm Interoperable Missions (ACCSIOM) technology, which allowed it to communicate with the crewed aircraft using the same messaging format as the standard NATO Link 16 datalink. A number of digital Banshee assets also took part in the exercise, QinetiQ said.
This test was a collaboration between QinetiQ, the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), the Royal Navy and the Air and Space Warfare Centre.
“Our Armed Forces strive to be at the cutting-edge of technology,” said James Cartlidge, UK minister for defence procurement. “The ability to team crewed and uncrewed systems is an important step forward in our ability to seize the opportunities inherent across drones.”
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