CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, June 25 (UPI) -- Rockwell Collins of Iowa is touting its flight control system and technology for GPS receivers in the recovery of small unmanned aircraft systems.
The technology -- the Athena 111m Integrated Flight Control System and Real Time Kinematic Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module -- recently played a key role in the shipboard flight tests of the U.S. Navy's RQ-21A Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System.
"With the launch of this first-ever SAASM RTK solution, military operations that require centimeter-level GPS navigation accuracy can utilize a more secure alternative to commercial RTK GPS receivers," said Dave Schreck, director of UAS and Control Technologies for Rockwell Collins. "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."
High levels of security and precise navigation are critically important for naval shipboard operations, the company said, and its solution enabled the RQ-21A STUAS to remain secure and stable during flight operations and recovery.
The Rockwell Collins SAASM is a single, tamper-resistant multi-chip security module that can be combined with other components and software into a complete GPS receiver. Rockwell Collins is the first in the industry to receive security approval for production of the SAASM GPS with an enhanced Precise Positioning Service security module.
