Rockwell Collins awarded new damage tolarance contract from DARPA
Rockwell Collins has been awarded the third phase of a damage tolerance contract by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Under the contract, Rockwell Collins will demonstrate completely autonomous takeoff, recovery from extreme damage and failure, and autonomous landing of an unmanned subscale F/A-18. Additional flight tests will be conducted on an operational Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS).
Over the course of approximately 15 months, Rockwell Collins will demonstrate its full Damage Tolerance and advanced controls capabilities.
Flight tests will demonstrate increasing damage to both the subscale F/A-18 and an operational UAS, including the failure of control surfaces and parts of the wing, as well as loss of vertical and horizontal tail surfaces. The flight tests will also include an “engine-out” condition followed by automatic adaptive recovery and emergency autoland.
“In addition to demonstrating increased reliability of unmanned aircraft, the damage tolerance work we are doing with DARPA goes a long way in facilitating evolving applications for UAS and the safe coexistence of manned and unmanned aircraft in common airspace,” said Dr. David Vos, Senior Director of Control Technologies for Rockwell Collins. “Unmanned aircraft reliability in the battlespace will ensure that U.S. and Allied forces receive real-time high quality Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data.”
“This next phase of the Damage Tolerance program will demonstrate that technology exists to reliably control UAS operating under the most challenging conditions such as extreme damage, upset or failure,” said DARPA Program Manager James McCormick.
Damage Tolerance Phase III follows Phases I and II, which were completed in April 2008. In Phase II, the technology demonstrated an aircraft could survive catastrophic wing damage, recover its baseline performance, and safely land – all autonomously.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures]()
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
-
![L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms]()
L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms
The new Amorphous software is a universal controller that would allow a single operator to control a swarm of “thousands” of uncrewed systems, from drones to underwater platforms.
-
![ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025]()
ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025
India UAV supplier ideaForge has launched the Netra 5 and Switch V2 drones at Aero India 2025, boasting of enhanced endurance, AI-driven autonomy and improved operational capabilities.
-
![Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market]()
Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market
The UAV market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with innovations in technology and battlefield applications driving demand across military sectors. From the battlefields of Ukraine to NATO exercises and beyond, drones are transforming how wars are fought and supported.
-
![Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system]()
Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system
Launched at AUSA in October, the company’s multi-stream video codec is attempting to bring a new lease of life to drone technology through its AI accelerator.
-
![AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments]()
AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.
