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.
Phoenix UAS flies using 4G LTE
UAV Solutions has flown its Phoenix ACE LE UAS using a 4G long term evolution (LTE) network for beyond line of sight (BLOS) capability, the company announced on 2 May.
UAV Solutions was able to fly the UAS from a distance of over 60 miles using a standard data plan, a modified set of avionics and a 4G LTE modem in the air vehicle. The flight demonstrated that the UAS can be operated BLOS by an operator with any internet connection including a 4G LTE hotspot, anywhere in the 4G LTE network.
During the four 50 minute flights, the operator had full control of the air vehicle and autonomous mission planning. Users were able to view full motion live video and operate the on-board camera.
Bill Davidson, chief executive officer and chief engineer, said: 'Applying 4G LTE technology for the flight of unmanned systems allows the proficient user to operate from anywhere on the globe with the assistance of a technician on the ground and a cellular network. Future possibilities for this technology include remote unmanned inspection stations.'
The Phoenix ACE LE is a small multi-rotor UAS with one hour + endurance. The backpackable system includes a UAS, charging station, windows tablet and joystick, mission planner software, batteries and a camera sensor. Sensor options include a combined electro-optical/infrared, multispectral, 10x zoom day and an action camera.
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