Rigorous Upcoming Test Schedule
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) announced on 28 November that its Certifiable Ground Control Station (C-GCS) was used for the first time on 4 October to fly a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) from Yuma, AZ.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the C-GCS, which was developed to meet the requirements of STANAG 4671, the platform chosen was GA-ASI’s MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which is also a STANAG-compliant system. Aircraft flight critical functions were tested successfully, including hold modes, landing gear, flap operation, and ‘hand flying’ of the aircraft.
“This marks a major milestone for the C-GCS,” commented company CEO, Linden Blue. “We continue on a path towards integrating RPA into non-segregated national and international airspace, where they can fly safely alongside commercial aircraft. To achieve that goal, we are producing STANAG-compliant Ground Control Stations in addition to STANAG-compliant SkyGuardian aircraft.”
The C-GCS includes the same flight management system, cockpit displays, and navigation guidance as those found on modern corporate and commercial aircraft. The C-GCS also enables weapons and payload control for SkyGuardian. The ground station’s hardware and software architectures provide separation of flight- and mission-critical functions. This allows mission software to be modified without affecting flight-critical software. The mission Human Machine Interface (HMI) is designed to provide situational awareness on a single tactical situation display. Avionics associated with the flight management system, including traffic collision avoidance, are certified under FAA Technical Standard Orders (TSO).
The upcoming test schedule for the C-GCS includes full launch and recovery, HMI enhancements, mission critical functions, and SATCOM datalink testing.
