U.S. Navy Testing Software To Allow UCAS To Launch From and Recover to Carriers

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, At Sea — A team from the Navy Unmanned Combat Air System program office tested communication software for the Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) during its sea trials, July 7-10. The UCAS-D program, based at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) on Naval Air Station (NAS) Paxutent River, Md., is designed to demonstrate the ability for the unmanned, autonomous X47-B unmanned air vehicle (UAV) to launch from and land safely on an aircraft carrier. Thirty-seven NAVAIR engineers and contract personnel were embarked on Truman to test UCAS-D unmanned aircraft and shipboard UCAS-D software. “We are one of the first aircraft carriers in the fleet to have Navy UCAS-D equipment installed on board,” said Lt. Cmdr. Chad Young, Truman’s assistant air operations officer. “Its purpose is to communicate with the UCAS-D flight software on their unmanned aircraft.” The tests aboard Truman ensured shipboard UCAS-D software was interfacing properly with the unmanned aircraft’s software using a surrogate aircraft, which was a contracted King Air. “They are looking for confirmation that our systems are properly monitoring the unmanned surrogate aircraft,” said Young. “This testing will eventually […]
U.S. Navy Testing Software To Allow UCAS To Launch From and Recover to Carriers