Thales and DCNS are planning supplementary technology demonstrations of a system for automatic ship deck landing of unmanned aircraft.
The decision is the result of a go-ahead from the DGA (French Defence Procurement Authority) — a follow-on from the successful landing and deck-landing trials conducted in the United States last June and July using a moving platform.
Sea trials of the demonstrator are planned for 2012 using a French Navy frigate and a Boeing H-6U Unmanned Little Bird rotorcraft. The next trials are aimed at demonstrating automatic deck-landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle on the deck of a frigate in total safety even in a high sea and in low visibility.
DCNS and Thales said the system must demonstrate its capability for integration of all the operational constraints inherent in deck take-offs and landings, similar to those of piloted helicopters, but in fully automatic mode.
The D2AD automatic deck-landing system constitutes a key stage in the run-up to the use of UAV rotorcraft by naval forces, the companies said. The availability of an automatic on-board take-off and landing system, without the need for an external pilot, opens up the possibility of intensive use of UAV rotorcraft, at minimum cost and a high level of safety.
Thales is responsible for the positioning system and its interface with the UA system, the supply of a UA demonstrator system and slaving of the flight path along a trajectory. DCNS is responsible for predicting the vessel motions, the harpoon system as well as the interface and integration with the vessel.
Source: Press Release