General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) is in the news again, as it got its prototype version of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) into the air for the first time, with an anticipated lengthy flight test campaign to follow. This latest CCA iteration, refered to as the YFQ-42A CCA, was derived from an earlier jet-powered XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station, a platform that enabled the company to not only develop and build but also fly this latest aircraft in just one year.
The UAV features significant autonomous capabilities developed over nearly five years of training using the MQ-20 Avenger unmanned jet aircraft. The strategy of beginning with a company-developed baseline aircraft (Avenger), securing USAF support for an initial derivative and then for the YFQ-42A CCA, appears to be accelerating development of the Loyal Wingman concept toward USAF operational manned-unmanned airborne teaming.
Previously, in July, GA-ASI began preparations to enable friendly European countries to rapidly participate in the future CCA-capabilites by teaming with its German affiliate General Atomics Aerotec Systems GmbH (GA-ATS). The agreement appears to enable high-volume local manufacture of a European CCA, and press releases have implied that potential content is expected to be provided by other high-tech local suppliers.
Following earlier reports that Reliable Robotics (RR) has been busy automating all phases of aircraft operations, including a Cessna Caravan cargo aircraft, USAF has awarded RR a $17.4 million contract to install a Reliable Autonomy System (RAS) in another Cessna. The resulting automated Cessna 208A Caravan is to be used in an estimated two-year program toward obtaining FAA certification that should enable flight within the U.S. National Airspace System (NAS). The system has been demonstrated — with a remote pilot in the loop — to be able to take an aircraft from startup on the ramp, through taxi, takeoff, en route flight, landing and taxi return to the ramp for unloading.
Cessna Caravans have been heavily used for cargo transport across the U.S. (and around the world) with a range of 1000 miles, carrying up to 1000 lb of cargo. The RR certification program is intended to allow these types of automated unmanned commercial and military operations on a regular basis throughout FAA controlled US airspace, alongside manned aircraft. Flying military unmanned aircraft in the NAS currently requires extremely highly-coordinated, continuous activity. The hope is that eventually it could become an easier more regular form of autonomous cargo/people air transport.
The cost of the continuing war in Ukraine may be affecting the Russian economy — a major drone manufacturer apparently is facing bankruptcy despite Russia currently using thousands of drones in attacks on Ukraine. The situation is difficult to understand, but this is an expensive war.
However it appears that, AO Kronshtadt, one of the major drone suppliers in Russia is also beset by civil lawsuits from several organizations to which it owes lots of rubles. Its Orion and an updated version Inokhodets drone are apparently somewhat similar to the US MQ-9 Reaper UAV.
Russia has apparently converted the Orion/Inkhodets medium-altitude surveillance drone into a strike version, but with limited success. Nevertheless, Kronshtadt apparently has made some progress, selling an export version in Asia.
Meanwhile, Russia still is apparently producing up to 6,000 Shahed one-way drones per month by another manufacturer in the Alabuga Special Economic Zone at a unit cost of around $70,000. This is significantly lower than drones that were originally purchased from Iran at $370,000 each.
The U.S. Federal Government through its transport agencies apparently has the exclusive right to control drones, including bringing malicious UAVs down from the sky. Most people understand that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates who flies what and where, but who is in charge of reducing and removing drone threats? It may have been difficult to understand during recent unauthorized overflights of military installations on the East Coast why someone didn’t shoot down the offending drones.
Now, a group of police agencies has approached members of Congress to ask for the right to “detect, track, identify and mitigate” the unlawful, negligent or malicious use of drones that threaten public safety. Citing a number of incidents — including drone incursions at airports and other incidents where unmanned aircraft have interfered with firefighting and disaster response, instances where law enforcement activities have been overflown and disrupted, and the practice of using drones to drop drugs, guns and mobile phones into prisons — the law enforcement group sees a need for permission to engage. With several major events scheduled across the U.S., it likely is time to support law enforcement with the appropriate powers needed to protect the public.
It is true that several bills are already pending before Congress to enable state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement agencies to find, identify and possibly mitigate inappropriate drone activity, but the group is urging action now. And they clearly demonstrate the need to be able to stop drone activity when necessary — the federal government cannot cover the whole country all the time, so it makes more sense to adequately train law enforcement and to distribute authorized local mitigation activity whenever it is found to be necessary.
So a mixed bag this month — progress for the U.S. Collaborative Combat Aircraft initiative, more steps toward automation for air cargo transport, problems for one Russian drone supplier while others increase volume and the United States seeks options for better defense against them, and U.S. law enforcement seeks the capability to help mitigate drone incursions where they are not wanted — plenty of different angles to consider around unmanned aerial vehicles.
