'GPS is the first operational link an adversary severs': US Navy tests software that lets drones land on…
- US Navy tests autonomous drone landings on moving ships without GPS
- Onboard cameras guide drones toward ships when satellite navigation becomes unavailable
- New software could reduce reliance on expensive shipboard tracking equipment
The US Navy has tested autonomous aircraft capable of completing assigned missions and recovering aboard moving vessels despite satellite navigation being unavailable or disrupted.
The demonstration used onboard cameras, motion sensors, and specialized algorithms to guide an unpiloted aircraft toward a ship experiencing deck movement.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) reported that its software could eliminate expensive shipboard tracking equipment during certain autonomous aircraft recovery operations.
Software replaces specialised shipboard recovery equipment
Traditional shipboard drone recovery can require dedicated tracking hardware, additional landing equipment, and modifications that increase procurement costs and complicate vessel integration.
The Navy previously relied on specialised equipment during autonomous recoveries, including the RQ-8A Fire Scout's historic landing aboard USS Nashville in...
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