US industry continues efforts to enhance airborne autonomy
MQ-20 Avenger UAV. (Photo: General Atomics)
A demonstration last month in the US explored steps towards more sophisticated autonomous missions for unmanned aircraft.
General Atomics announced on 11 August that an Avenger UAS, equipped with a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod containing an IRST21 search and track system, autonomously tracked and followed a target aircraft in a July 2021 industry-funded demonstration.
Chris Pehrson, GA-ASI VP of special programmes, said: ‘The success of this Avenger/Legion Pod demonstration represents an important step toward more sophisticated autonomous missions for unmanned aircraft and MUM-T [manned-unmanned teaming] in a complex battlespace.’
Integrating Legion Pod software into the Avenger Mission Management System took less than three months and was enabled through Open Mission System standards.
During the flight, Legion Pod with IRST21 detected multiple fast-moving aircraft operating in the area and fed target tracking information to the autonomy engine aboard Avenger autonomy engine, which prioritised the targets for engagement.
‘This flight demonstrates a critical sensor capability that enables unmanned combat air vehicles like the Avenger to operate autonomously in Joint All-Domain Operations,” said Dave Belvin, VP of Sensors and Global Sustainment at Lockheed Martin.
He added: ‘We designed Legion Pod to passively detect and track targets for tactical fighter pilots in radar-denied environments. This capability provides the data necessary to enable unmanned vehicles to track and engage hostile airborne targets without human intervention.’
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Peru cleared for possible $3.42 billion F-16 Block 70 buy]()
Peru cleared for possible $3.42 billion F-16 Block 70 buy
The potential foreign military sale covers 12 F-16 aircraft as well as related training and equipment support, the DSCA notice said.
-
![DSEI 2025: UK’s new Air Chief Marshal outlines nuclear, space and IAMD as three key priorities for RAF]()
DSEI 2025: UK’s new Air Chief Marshal outlines nuclear, space and IAMD as three key priorities for RAF
Aiming to field a more integrated, agile force, the military leader said in a keynote speech that focus on these core areas would be increased to help the RAF deter and meet challenges in the new threat landscape.
-
![DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)]()
DSEI 2025: The fighter market shift to Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) capabilities is set to become a market differentiator for fighter aircraft, allowing 4.5-5th generation platforms to remain relevant to the battlefield.
-
![Project Kuiper’s LEO network pioneers Space-as-a-Service]()
Project Kuiper’s LEO network pioneers Space-as-a-Service
The Kuiper Network enables organizations to buy, rather than build, applications that serve mission needs at mission speed.
