SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15 (UPI) -- Autonomous aerial refueling of U.S. unmanned aerial vehicles – by other UAVs – is moving closer to operational reality.
Northrop Grumman, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and NASA Dryden Flight Research Center report they have completed a series of fight demonstrations of the UAV-UAV refueling concept at high altitude and they proved successful.
In the tests of the Autonomous High-Altitude Refueling program, two autonomous Global Hawks operated by NASA were used. One of them was configured as a tanker.
"The technical developments that enabled these two high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned Global Hawks in close formation is an outstanding accomplishment for the AHR program," said Fred Ricker, vice president and deputy general manager for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems' Advanced Programs & Technology.
"Coupled with the advanced design and technical implementation of aerial refueling systems on board both aircraft, the demonstration has truly brought a concept to life, which has the potential to change the operations for unmanned aircraft utility and enable mission flexibility never before realized."
The organizations said that in the tests the two aircraft flew in close formation. The lead receiver aircraft extended and retracted its aerial refueling hose several times, validating associated program hardware and software; and the trail tanker aircraft successfully demonstrated precision control with manual and automated breakaway maneuvers.
"The aircraft rendezvoused and flew for more than 2.5 hours under autonomous formation control, with the majority of the time within 100 feet of each other," Northrop said.
