A Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program that will demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling between two high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft could someday lead to machine-controlled refueling of manned platforms, among other applications.
Prime contractor Northrop Grumman [NOC] earlier this year simulated autonomous aerial refueling between two HALE unmanned aircraft by flying Scaled Composites’ Proteus in close proximity to a NASA RQ-4 Global Hawk (Defense Daily, March 9). The flight was conducted to reduce risk for the first KQ-X autonomous aerial refueling demonstration, planned for mid-2012.
According to Geoffrey Sommer, Northrop Grumman’s program manager for KQ-X, the new technology could someday be applied to manned aviation.
“Hose and drogue refueling puts a great emphasis on pilot skill,” Sommer told Defense Daily in a March 9 telephone interview. “The technology being developed in the KQ-X program may someday be used to conduct machine-controlled engagements.”
The demonstration next year will involve both of NASA’s Global Hawks–one equipped with a refueling boom to act as tanker and one equipped with a refueling hose and drogue to act as receiver. But in a reversal of a typical aerial refueling, the tanking aircraft will fly behind the receiver. The lead aircraft typically pushes fuel downward to the receiver.
According to Sommer, the new technology could also be a way for the Pentagon to someday use Global Hawk aircraft as they age out of the fleet. As new block upgrades are purchased, older aircraft could be designated as tankers, helping to keep aircraft on station longer.
Nothrop Grumman is now in the process of driving risk out of the program ahead of the 2012 refueling demonstration. For example, the Cobham-built refueling hardware is being put into a wind tunnel for testing, while Sierra Nevada Corp.‘s engagement tracking system is being integrated onto the RQ-4.
The $33 million KQ-X program is expected to culminate in enabling Global Hawk flights of up to one week in endurance. KQ-X is a follow-on to a 2006 DARPA Autonomous Aerial Refueling Demonstration (AARD), in joint effort with NASA Dryden, which used an F-18 fighter jet as a surrogate unmanned aircraft to autonomously refuel through a probe and drogue from a 707 tanker.
Northrop Grumman supports the operation of the two Global Hawks used in the KQ-X program under the terms of a Space Act Agreement with its NASA Dryden partner and is responsible for all engineering design, as well as modification of both aircraft.