Sky Warrior UAS completes first successful automatic takeoffs and landings from ER/MP one system ground control station: First Successful Flight via SATCOM Also Achieved
AUSA ANNUAL EXPOSITION, WASHINGTON DC – 6 October 2008 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical reconnaissance radars, along with its “Team Sky Warrior” partners AAI Corporation and L-3 Communication Systems-West, today announced the successful first-attempted automatic takeoffs and landings of a Sky Warrior® UAS controlled from the AAI-developed Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) One System® Ground Control Station (OSGCS). Three automatic landings were successfully executed at GA-ASI’s El Mirage Flight Operations Center in Adelanto, Calif., on August 29, followed by three successful automatic takeoffs on September 26. GA-ASI’s Sky Warrior aircraft was under full line-of-sight command and control through the L-3 Communication Systems-West Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL). Automatic takeoff and landing utilizing TCDL represents a significant technical advancement in ER/MP UAS Program development and an important step in the maturation of diverse technologies prior to fielding the system, which is expected in July 2009.
Source: http://www.skycontrol.net/uav/sky-warrior-uas-completes-first-successful-automatic-takeoffs-and-landings-from-ermp-one-system-ground-control-station-first-successful-flight-via-satcom-also-achieved/