In another milestone on the road to fully autonomous formation flight and autonomous air-to-air refueling (A4R), Airbus Defense and Space is using the A310 Multirole Tanker Transport (MRTT) flight testbed to make drones autonomous. systematically induced and controlled.
Air-to-air refueling is one of the key technologies providing the Air Force with the ability to extend its global reach and mission duration indefinitely. However, transferring fuel from one aircraft to another with significantly different flight performance is a very difficult task that requires a high degree of skill and concentration.
Airbus, in collaboration with its subsidiary Airbus UpNext, has launched a Spanish, German , and working on a series of technologies developed by France. , by automating the process.
The most recent test, conducted in the Bay of Cadiz off the southern coast of Span, took place on March 21 and included an A310 MRTT and several DT-25 target drones simulating an aircraft receiving fuel in real operations. was During the six-hour flight, control of the drone was transferred from the ground station to the tanker.
airbus
The system then used artificial intelligence and coordinated control algorithms to control and command four drones, moving them within 150 feet (45 m) of the tanker while in good position to refuel. . During this time, Auto’Mate controlled the relative navigation of the aircraft, communicated between them to improve autonomy, and provided fine-tuned guidance to avoid collisions and other problems.
A second test is scheduled for the end of the year, including two more simulated drones, using navigation sensors based on artificial intelligence and improved algorithms to show that the A310 MRTT can operate in congested airspace. I’m here.
Jean Bliss-Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems, Airbus Defense and Space, said: “We are still in the early stages, but we have achieved this in just over a year and are looking forward to manned and unmanned teams and future Air Force operations where fighters and mission aircraft fly together with swarms of drones. We are on the right track.”
Source: Airbus
