Quad A 2011: USSOCOM cut short Belize FOPEN evaluation
The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) elected to end its evaluation of Boeing's A160T Hummingbird and DARPA's Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER) payload following an 'incident' with the UAS last year.
A USSOCOM spokesman has told Shephard that there was 'no plan to return' following the incident which occurred on 4 September, following issues with the tail rotor. Up until this point, the aircraft had completed a total of 28 flights in 24 days in Belize as part of an evaluation programme.
'The team completed 90-95 percent of the test objectives for that evaluation. The mission was to test both the ability of the FORESTER to detect movement in a multiple canopy jungle and the rotorcraft's flight performance in a tropical environment.
'It was determined that the remaining objectives could be accomplished at another time. So, the evaluation in Belize ended when the incident occurred,' he continued.
However, Boeing's manager of advanced development Mansik Johng said that the company would continue to progress on supporting USSOCOM activities and described a number of 'structural changes' which had been made to the aircraft following the incident.
Speaking to Shephard at the Quad A annual exposition in Nashville, Johng said: 'We are talking to get flight clearance back. Any day now we will have approval to fly again.'
The FORESTER payload was designed to provide 'enhanced coverage of moving vehicles and dismounted troops under foliage, filling the current surveillance gap,' according to Boeing officials. Before deploying to Belize, A160T had been tested at Fort Stewart where its longest flight had seen it complete close to a six-hour mission.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI]()
EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI
The Portuguese company’s naval communications system is in service across more than a dozen countries. It has turned to its home nation for support in developing a new vehicle based C2 system.
-
![Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker]()
Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker
The Vision4ce Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT) technology software is designed to process video and images by blending traditional computer vision with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to present actionable information from complex environments.
-
![Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend]()
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
![UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release]()
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
![Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)]()
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
![US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts]()
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.
