Collins Aerospace demonstrates Air Launched Effects capabilities

Collins Aerospace has announced successful demonstration of a 'ready now' mission systems solution to support Air Launched Effects (ALE) from US Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) aircraft.

The manufacturer noted on 31 January that its RapidEdge mission system 'executed tactically relevant ALE behaviors while communicating via a cross-domain multi-level security solution,' during a demonstration where company hardware based at Cedar Rapids, Iowa was linked to additional hardware at Collins' new customer experience center in Huntsville, Alabama.

'Rapid Edge Mission enables multiple ALEs to act as a cooperative team with complementary capabilities while simultaneously reducing pilot workload,' said a company statement. 'Additionally, the open system architecture allows multiple payloads and datalinks to be seamlessly integrated.

'Further evidence of this high readiness level was demonstrated by the recent live flight of the Collins Mission System solution while physically integrated into the Altius-700 air vehicle from Area-I, underscoring the ability to deliver a solution in line with the Army’s FVL schedule.'

The US Army has been experimenting with ALEs in order to order to extend the range, lethality and survivability of new helicopters that it will eventually field under FARA and FLRAA programmes.