ADELANTO – Drone, reconnaissance radars and surveillance systems maker, General Atomics, flew two “Avenger” unmanned aircraft over the High Desert. The November 18, 2021 flight demonstrated the aircraft’s capability to perform collaborative sensing with a Lockheed Martin-built “Legion Pod” sensor within a two-hour flight.

In the two-hour flight, the Avengers flew over the High Desert and detected multiple fast-moving aircraft operating in the area. On-pod Lockheed Martin fusion software blended the sensor data from both pods in real time and the Avengers streamed it to the ground station.

“This first-time, industry-funded flight test demonstrates the maturing capabilities of Unmanned Aircraft Systems platforms and sensors to deliver fused sensor data,” said General Atomics Senior Director of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood. “Avenger with Legion Pod demonstrates how collaborative autonomous platforms with advanced sensing can deliver persistent, shared air domain awareness.”

This fusion technology was previously tested in F-15-equipped Legion Pods and datalinks at the Northern Edge operational exercise in Alaska. The fusion engine’s ability to take in multiple sensor sources makes it a central node that connects Legion Pods on manned and unmanned platforms. 

The Open Mission System (OMS) architecture of the Legion Pod sensor allows for rapid integration, making the technology transportable among aircraft platforms and reducing the timeline and complexity to integrate on new platforms.

General Atomics is a defense and technologies company, founded in 1955, that produces a series of unmanned aircraft, provides electro-optical, radar, signals intelligence, and automated airborne surveillance systems. The company’s Desert Horizon office is located in Adelanto, CA.

For more information about General Atomics visit https://www.ga.com/