BAE Systems receives DARPA contracts
BAE Systems has received two contracts from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop technology that will enable compact UAS to conduct multiple mission tasks with single, multifunction payloads that can adapt to changing battlefield situations in real time.
Being carried out under DARPA’s CONverged Collaborative Elements for Radio Frequency (RF) Task Operations (CONCERTO) programme, the work is geared toward supporting communications, radar and electronic warfare systems with a flexible RF architecture that uses shared common hardware, enabling multifunction systems that meet the low-SWaP requirements of compact UAS.
The converged systems are expected to be able to switch between intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, command and control, networking and combat operations support missions without requiring the physical payload changes that hinder current UAS operations.
BAE Systems will focus on maximising the hardware’s RF capabilities such as bandwidth, frequency, distance, and field of view, to ensure that all missions can be accomplished from the same components. The company is also developing a flexible, virtual RF processing engine that can be reconfigured to support simultaneous operating modes.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Reamda upgrades Grasshopper UGV observation mast
Reamda, an Irish engineering company with a focus on UGVs and defence applications, delivered its Riddler platformed to the Irish Defence Forces last year.
-
Roke unveils new CUAS solution
The Roke Agile CUAS has been designed to provide protection for military and civilian situations, as well as to handle swarms of UAS by using a range of sensors.
-
Russia reaches new monthly record for Lancet use in Ukraine
The aggressor’s armed forces have adapted Lancet to Ukrainian conditions via iterative developments accompanied by a significant expansion in production capacity
-
India’s pursuit of UAVs fuels domestic innovation and industrial growth
In response to escalating border tensions and the need for enhanced surveillance capabilities, the Indian Army is ramping up its drone acquisitions, reflecting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern defence strategies.
-
Australia to adopt new predatory OWL species
The Australian Defence Force will introduce the One-Way Loitering (OWL) platform by Innovaero, the country’s first long-range loitering munition, to enhance strike capabilities and understanding of loitering munitions.
-
Dedrone’s latest uncrewed solutions offers “complete CUAS DTI-M kill chain”
DedroneOnTheMove, which integrates advanced sensor-fusion and mitigation technologies, was showcased at Eurosatory 2024 and has been designed for deployment to enhance airspace security in high-risk environments.