General Atomics Aeronautical Systems demonstrated a prototype GPS-based surveillance system for its Predator-series remotely piloted aircraft that allows these platforms to operate safely in the national airspace, announced the company. The Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast-based system offers enhanced situational awareness and sense-and-avoid tools, according to the company’s Oct. 25 release. The Aug. 10 trial of ADS-B aboard a modified Predator B flying off the Florida coast showed that air traffic controllers could “precisely” identify the RPA’s location and flight profile; ADS-B also notified other aircraft of the Predator’s location and velocity, states the release. For the Predator operators, ADS-B detected other similarly equipped aircraft in the vicinity and displayed their location on a display in the Predator ground control station, states the release. The company held the test in conjunction with the Homeland Security Department and FAA. “We believe ADS-B will play a key role in a future sense-and-avoid system . . . so this is a step in the right direction,” said Frank Pace, president of the company’s Aircraft Systems Group.
As it develops new weapons to attack satellites, the U.S. Space Force is focused more on ground-based efforts where the technology is more mature, the service’s top general said April 3.