Rockwell Collins technologies used in RQ-21A tests

When the US Navy’s RQ-21A Integrator Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (STUAS) completed its first flight tests at sea recently, technologies provided by Rockwell Collins played a central role in ensuring that high levels of security and precise navigation were possible, the company has reported.

The Integrator STUAS conducted tests from the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) in the Gulf of Mexico.

The UAV was equipped with the Rockwell Collins Athena 111m Flight Control System and Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) technology solution for secure GPS, which helped make the flights possible, enabling the aircraft to remain secure and stable during flight operations and recovery even in rapidly moving, high sea state situations.

Dave Schreck, director of UAS and Control Technologies, Rockwell Collins, said: ‘With the launch of this first ever SAASM RTK solution, military operations that require centimeter-level GPS navigation accuracy can utilise a more secure alternative to commercial RTK GPS receivers.

‘Today, platforms such as Insitu’s RQ-21A can have that navigation accuracy for autonomous capture, landing, or other operations, while benefiting from the high-security features of the SAASM GPS receiver.’

Schreck added that the RTK SAASM technology also enables cost-effective, miniaturised solutions for many other applications including targeting and North-finding solutions.

The Rockwell Collins SAASM device is a single, tamper-resistant multi-chip security module that can be combined with other components and software into a complete GPS receiver. RTK SAASM utilises a miniature, low power SAASM GPS receiver.