What's next for the Pentagon after the Replicator programme?
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
Rockwell Collins’ Pro Line Fusion has demonstrated its capacity to act as a ground control station for unmanned aerial system (UAS) applications, with a series of successful experimental flights recently conducted using the Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system.
During testing, conducted out of the University of Iowa’s Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL) in Iowa City, the system was integrated with the UAS Control and Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) data link currently in development by Rockwell Collins to enable UAS to safely operate in the national airspace.
A distributed FMS allowed controllers on the ground to reach into the optionally piloted aircraft to control the aircraft remotely, with a safety pilot on board during the flights. By combining the CNPC data link and distributed FMS Rockwell Collins hopes to pave the way to a certified solution for UAS.
John Borghese, vice president of the Advanced Technology Center, Rockwell Collins, said: ‘Our company brings these two capabilities together for one solution that can enable UAS to safely, routinely and efficiently operate in the national airspace.
‘Our vast experience in certifying avionics for manned vehicles gives us the expertise to apply the same principles to UAS. The purpose of these tests was to show how certified production systems may be used to meet the certification requirements being formulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.’
Although the Replicator initiative has made several accomplishments, there are still multiple gaps to plug across the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its services.
Cummings Aerospace presented its turbojet-powered Hellhound loitering munition at SOF Week 2025, offering a man-portable solution aligned with the US Army’s LASSO requirements.
PDW has revealed its Attritable Multirotor First Person View drone at SOF Week 2025, offering special operations forces a low-cost, rapidly deployable platform for strike and ISR missions, inspired by battlefield lessons from Ukraine.
Teledyne FLIR is highlighting the emerging requirements for 'recoverable and re-usable' loitering munitions across the contemporary operating environment during this week’s SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida.
High-performance maritime industry player Kraken Technology Group, based in the UK, has used the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida this week to debut its K3 Scout uncrewed surface vessel (USV) to the North American market.
Red Cat and Palladyne AI recently conducted a cross-platform collaborative flight involving three diverse heterogeneous drones.