Rockwell Collins flight controls, navigation systems to guide STUAS vehicle

24th August 2010 - 17:36 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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Rockwell Collins' flight control and navigation systems will play a critical role in the Small Tactical Unmanned Air System (STUAS) program, which promises to provide the warfighter with greatly enhanced levels of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.

The Navy and Marine Corps recently awarded the STUAS contract to Insitu for its Integrator Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The Integrator uses Rockwell Collins' Athena 111m flight control system, which enables the UAS to perform with high accuracy and autonomy using a lightweight, small form factor avionics package.

The Integrator also flies with Rockwell Collins' GPS that improves the position accuracy of the UAS and its subsystems. For example, the flight control system uses the GPS to autonomously and accurately position the UAS to capture the aircraft using the SkyHookâ retrieval system.

Rockwell Collins will work with Insitu during a two-year engineering and manufacturing development effort to mature the UAS design to meet the STUAS requirements. STUAS will provide ISR support for US Marine Corps and US Navy.

"We are pleased to be working closely with Insitu on this important program," said David Vos, Rockwell Collins senior director of UAS and Control Technology. "Rockwell Collins' role in the STUAS contract validates the reliability and performance of our Athena flight control and navigation systems."

Source: Rockwell Collins

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