New ISR sensor pod beckons for MQ-9
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) and Spanish engineering and technology firm SENER are developing the customisable NATO Pod for carrying sovereign, cross-domain ISR sensors that can be integrated onto MQ-9A Reaper and MQ-9B SkyGuardian UAS.
NATO Pod is designed and built by SENER Aeroespacial to meet various European certification requirements. GA-ASI will integrate the low-cost NATO Pod onto the MQ-9 aircraft line to increase its configuration and payload options, the company stated on 1 September.
Having successfully completed the system definition and specification phase, the conceptual and preliminary design phases, as well as the critical design review in mid-2020, SENER Aeroespacial is now working on the detailed design phase of the NATO Pod.
Existing sensors on the MQ-9A include the AN/DAS-1 MTS-B, AN/APY-8 Lynx Block 20A and DB/MS-110, according to Shephard Defence Insight. The MQ-9B has been fitted with MX-20 and SeaVue XMC sensors.
GA-ASI is working with European suppliers to add sensor capabilities to the new payload pod that meets NATO airworthiness standards. Each user country can add its own capabilities using a common set of interfaces to the aircraft system, cutting both integration time and cost.
‘Interface standardization also allows sovereign containment of payload hardware and data by customers, when required,’ said Linden Blue, CEO of GA-ASI.
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