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Next-gen transponder flown on UAV

ARLINGTON, Va., June 14 (UPI) -- BAE Systems reports it has successfully flown its next-generation Identification Friend or Foe system for the first time on a high-altitude UAV.

The AN/DPX-7 reduced size transponder, which was carried aboard a MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle -- is half the size and weight of other transponders, the company said, and provides enhanced air traffic control information and navigational capabilities.

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"BAE Systems' reduced-size transponder advances the safety of the Triton -- and other aircraft -- because it helps sense and avoid other planes, enabling successful navigation through congested airspace," said Sal Costa, product line director at BAE Systems in Greenlawn, N.Y., where the RST system is manufactured.

BAE did not provide additional details on the transponder or the flight test aboard the UAV.

The MQ-4C Triton is built by Northrop Grumman. It has a flight endurance of as much as 24 hours, can fly as high as 10 miles and can cover 2,000 nautical miles.

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