BAE Systems has been awarded two contracts by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop better UAV payloads.
BAE is focusing on the problem of single-function UAV payloads for ISR and electronic warfare missions. Larger drones can carry multiple payloads, but not the smaller drones of limited size and power.
Under the two DARPA Converged Collaborative Elements for RF Task Operations contracts, with a total worth of $5.4 million, BAE "is developing technology that will enable compact UAS to conduct multiple mission tasks with single, multifunction payloads that can adapt to changing battlefield situations and mission needs in real time," a company news release said.
"This agility is particularly important in denied environments, where multiple mission functions are typically needed to penetrate defenses and remain operational," said BAE's technology development manager, Randall Lapierre. "By enabling small platform systems to share core components, we're helping them become more agile and stay on station longer."
