SAN DIEGO – 01 February 2024 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully demonstrated an inflight release of its Advanced Air-Launched Effects (A2LE) platform, releasing an A2LE from the internal weapons bay of a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). The demonstration took place on Nov. 28, 2023, over Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, capping a manufacturing, structural test, and flight demonstration.

GA-ASI’s design and engineering team partnered with Divergent Technologies, Inc. for the A2LE vehicle design and build, matching GA-ASI’s aircraft design expertise with the Divergent Adaptive Production System (DAPS™) to support rapid, low-cost manufacturing of the demonstration vehicle.

“This demonstration was a crucial first step in demonstrating GA-ASI’s ability to rapidly develop, manufacture, and test a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) in a controlled, low-risk approach,” said Mike Atwood, vice president of Advanced Programs at GA-ASI. “A2LE demonstrates the coupling of GA-ASI’s pedigreed aircraft design capabilities with Divergent’s DAPS, paving the way for continued maturation of affordable, modular SUAS platforms that can be tailored to meet warfighter needs at a fraction of the cost and lead time of currently fielded systems.”

The demonstration vehicle airframe was 100 percent additively manufactured and was designed to meet the captive carriage and ejection loads of the jet-powered aircraft with internal weapons bays. The topology-optimized AM structure was validated via proof and pit ejection testing prior to the flight demonstration. The demonstration highlighted the design efficiencies that can be realized when AM is incorporated early in the design process and throughout the vehicle. It was also a key step in validating the AM process and material properties for incorporation in future systems to be employed by both manned and unmanned platforms.

GA-ASI’s A2LE platform builds on its extensive experience in developing SUAS. It provides a low-risk, low-cost, tailorable solution that bring affordable mass to the warfighter, with modular payload provisions to meet the requirements of current and future mission objectives. A network of A2LEs could create a persistent, expansive grid for surveillance, attack, enemy air defense suppression, or communication pathways, supporting and elevating capabilities of current and future manned or unmanned platforms.

DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce the launch of its Expeditionary Fixed-Site (EFS) Kit for the DroneSentry-X Mk2. DroneSentry-X Mk2 is a multi-mission Counter-UxS solution providing AI driven detection, identification and next generation electronic defeat capabilities engineered for mobile and expeditionary use cases. DroneShield’s EFS Kit enables rapid deployment of the DroneSentry-X Mk2 across a wide range of operations, setting a new standard for ease of use among tactical end users.

Key Features of the DroneSentry-X Mk2 Expeditionary Fixed-Site (EFS) Kit:

1 AI-Powered Threat Detection: Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence, DroneSentry-X Mk2 excels in detecting and identifying multi-domain UxS threats with unparalleled accuracy, providing operators with crucial intelligence in real-time.

2 Expeditionary Fixed Site (EFS) Kit: The EFS Kit ensures the adaptability of the DroneSentry-X Mk2 for fixed-site or semi-permanent wide area operations. The EFS Kit was designed with operator feedback for an intuitive deployment, making it easy to set-up and versatile, streamlining a variety of scenarios including mobile or on-the-move, at the halt, reconnaissance, force protection and base defense operations.

3 Tool-Less Mount and Installation: The EFS Kit features a tool-less mount and installation, allowing for swift deployment as well as quick disassembly without the need for intricate tools or specialized training. Tactical operators can set up and disassemble the system efficiently in less than 10 minutes, enhancing response times to emerging threats as well as allowing for expedited disassembly if and when the mission changes.

4 Portable Battery Solution: The EFS Kit includes a portable battery solution ensuring uninterrupted operation in remote or temporary settings. This feature enhances the system’s mobility, increases deployment options and reduces dependency on fixed power sources.

Benefits for Operators:

• Real-Time Threat Intelligence: The integration of AI ensures that operators receive real-time intelligence, enabling rapid decision-making and response to UxS threats.

• Adaptability for Wide Area Operations: The EFS Kit transforms the DroneSentry-X into a best in class integrated sensor and effector solution for wide area operations, allowing it to be easily deployed in various environments.

• Efficient and Flexible Deployment: The tool-less mount and installation system streamline the deployment process, minimizing downtime and maximizing the system’s availability for mission-critical tasks.

Matt McCrann, DroneShield U.S. CEO, commented, “The DroneSentry-X EFS Kit addresses a huge gap for operators – combining an adaptable Counter-UxS capability with user-friendly features. Our commitment to ease of use is evident in every aspect of the DroneSentry-X EFS Kit, from advanced AI detection to the truly easy to deploy configuration.”

Angus Bean, DroneShield Chief Technology Officer added, “We are focused on rapid product development this includes both new technologies and solution refinement based on end user mission sets. We want to execute on the complete solution, considering sequence of operation, deployment life cycle and ongoing support.”

The DroneSentry-X Mk2 made its debut in October at the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition (AUSA 2023) in Washington, DC. After several months of customer feedback, the EFS Kit now expands the deployment options of DroneSentry-X to allow users to deploy the leading integrated C-UAS solution effectively anywhere.

More information on the DroneSentry-X Mk2 EFS is available at: www.droneshield.com/products/dronesentry-x-mk2.

GA-ASI Combines Waveform X Capabilities With Diverse DoD Autonomy Skills Providers to Advance Its UCAV Ecosystem

SAN DIEGO – 16 January 2024 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) demonstrated its hardware-agnostic, open standards-based autonomy ecosystem for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) on a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger® as part of a live flight test on Nov. 13, 2023. The flight included three software-defined radios (SDRs) from L3Harris Technologies to support Line-of-Sight (LOS), command and control, and data movement capabilities via Waveform X.

One SDR, an L3Harris’ Pantera, was integrated into the MQ-20 unmanned aircraft, and a second was on the ground working in concert with a third L3Harris SDR, BANSHEE 2, which was on the ground as part of the Mission Control Element, forming an IP-based Mesh Network. The demonstration showcased Waveform X, a non-proprietary U.S. government-owned communications capability, and the ability to fly, flip, fly flight hardware as part of the Open Mission Systems (OMS) and skills based unmanned autonomy ecosystem.

The flight demonstrated the ability to rapidly plug and play both U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force (USAF) autonomous unmanned technologies together. It further leveraged autonomy from three separate sources: government-provided human-machine interface (HMI) hardware, GA-ASI’s autonomy core, and orchestration of these components using Waveform X.

Autonomy skills were used to meet multiple objectives for collaborative combat missions and close the Find, Fix, Track, Target, Engage, and Assess (F2T2EA) engagement chain using a mix of Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) entities. The flight, which took place at GA-ASI’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, Calif., illustrates the company’s commitment to maturing future Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) technologies using the MQ-20 as a flying test bed.

“This flight underscores GA-ASI’s commitment to proving combat operational readiness for defense contractor products such as L3Harris’ Pantera and BANSHEE 2 radios, as well as open, vendor-agnostic autonomy architecture for UCAV platforms,” said GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood. “This most recent test shows multi-service compatibility of the autonomy core through the integration of USAF and Navy software skills, bringing us one step closer to government-owned, skills based interservice ecosystem for ACPs.”

Another important goal of GA-ASI’s flights is to demonstrate the company’s commitment to developing an open government standards-based autonomy ecosystem that enables rapid integration and validation of third-party tactical software applications. GA-ASI is focused on supporting the emerging government-managed App Store-based model that allows organizations to rapidly develop and deploy software while maintaining safety of flight and ensuring warfighters have up-to-date access to the industry’s best capabilities.