GA-ASI demos aircraft carrier deck handling for MQ-25

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI) has successfully demonstrated aircraft carrier deck handling as part of its proposed MQ-25 Stingray solution, the company announced on 16 April.

The aircraft carrier deck handling demo used a Predator C Avenger aircraft as a surrogate to show that the  carrier-based unmanned tanker can integrate with the complexities of existing flight deck operations, carrying out taxi capability and transition to launch and recovery phases.

MQ-25 deck operations will use specially designed director wands which are of the same size, shape, and weight as those currently in use. Directors fully control aircraft taxi operations on deck, including lowering/raising the launch bar, spreading/folding the wings, and raising the arresting hook.

GA-ASI employs gesture recognition algorithms in the wands that recognise standard Naval Air Training and

Operating Procedures flight deck director's hand gestures and translates and sends those commands to the MQ-25 air vehicle. The MQ-25 receives the commands and converts them into the appropriate aircraft actions.

David Alexander, president, aircraft systems, GA-ASI, said: ‘MQ-25 will need to integrate seamlessly with the Carrier Air Wing regardless of whether the aircraft is conducting flight or deck operations. This demonstration proves that the GA-ASI solution will integrate into existing ship operations and that translates into less time spent steaming into the wind for launches and recoveries.

‘MQ-25 will be able to ‘talk back’ to the controller and other flight deck personnel using a small series of LEDs that change colours and/or flash to show that they have received a command and indicate the aircraft’s condition or operating state. A safety observer on deck can stop the aircraft instantly any time an unsafe situation is identified.’

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