JP129 enhancements?

AAI recently announced that its Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (TUAS) have achieved in excess of 600,000 total flight hours.

Approximately 90 per cent of these hours were amassed in support of combat operations at locations throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, fuelling an average of more than 100,000 combat flight hours per year during each of the last three years.

During 2011, AAI will continue deployment of its innovative laser designation capability, as well as the new extended wing enhancement
introduced in 2010.

The extended wing provides an additional six feet of wingspan, increasing the size of the aircraft’s fuel cell and enhancing mission endurance to a total of nine hours.

AAI also is testing a new, fuel-injected engine to further improve aircraft performance and reliability.

In addition, AAI is exploring several communications-related system enhancements.

Among them is a Joint Tactical Radio System-compliant communications relay capability to create a Shadow-based aerial tier to the battlefield network.

AAI also is supporting the fielding of a new Shadow system configuration incorporating the Tactical Common Data Link for even greater bandwidth, data encryption capability and information security.

The ADF has acquired two Shadow systems, comprising a total of 18 air vehicles, for operations in Afghanistan where they will replace the Insitu ScanEagle systems.