GA-ASI demonstrates autonomous jet with air-to-air engagement

SAN DIEGO - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and General Atomics Integrated Intelligence, Inc. successfully conducted a demonstration featuring autonomous air-to-air engagement capabilities with an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned jet, the companies announced Thursday.

The July 8 demonstration integrated the Tactical Autonomy Core Ecosystem (TacACE) with Optix.C2 command and control software to enable the unmanned aircraft to autonomously execute mission tasks including threat identification and engagement.

During the exercise, the MQ-20 aircraft patrolled a designated Combat Air Patrol zone using off-board sensor data to maintain situational awareness. The system demonstrated beyond-line-of-sight command and control capabilities, with the aircraft autonomously responding to operator commands to investigate targets, simulate missile launches, assess damage, and return to patrol without additional input.

"This demonstration represents a substantial leap in autonomy and human-machine interfaces that are critical to the warfighter in the near-peer fight," said Michael Atwood, Vice President of Advanced Programs at GA-ASI.

The test incorporated one live MQ-20 aircraft and three virtual Collaborative Combat Aircraft surrogates, showcasing the integration of space-based and tactical sensing capabilities. The system fused multiple data sources to provide real-time threat information to the autonomous platform.

Dr. Brian Ralston, President of GA-Intelligence, noted that the demonstration "illustrates the value of integrating cutting-edge and proven technologies across the GA enterprise."

The exercise highlighted advancements in autonomous systems that require minimal operator input while maintaining effective command and control through distributed edge nodes.

According to the press release statement, GA-ASI continues developing autonomy products that deliver scalable, collaborative aircraft behavior for military applications.

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