Naomi Cooper
Boeing has conducted a virtual demonstration of a new open autonomy architecture designed to enable manned-unmanned teaming capabilities for the U.S. Navy’s MQ-25 aerial refueling system.
During the digital flight test, three different simulated naval aircraft tasked four virtual, autonomous MQ-25s to conduct tanking and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions without communicating with the ship-based ground control station, Boeing said Tuesday.
The unmanned aerial vehicle then used an onboard autonomy framework developed by Aurora Flight Sciences, a subsidiary of Boeing, to validate the commands and execute the tasks autonomously.
The test also showcased a new radar search application developed by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division for MQ-25 using a software development kit from Aurora.
The virtual MUM-T demonstration included the Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne command-and-control aircraft and Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet and P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft.
