WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio – A year of cutting-edge technology development and prototyping by Air Force Research Laboratory teams has culminated in a series of flight demonstrations as part of the Sensors Directorate Blue Guardian “Project Harvest Reaper.”
AFRL’s AgilePod has embarked on a series of flight tests aboard a Douglas DC-3 aircraft in preparation for integration on the Air Force MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle later this year. The Lego-like pod is flying in multiple configurations with a mixture of sensor systems and technologies on board, with the goal to optimize the pod for operational activity and longevity.
“AgilePod is a game-changer,” said Capt. Russell Shirey, Blue Guardian Program Manager at the AFRL Sensors Directorate. “This is a unique opportunity to highlight the benefits of modular open system architectures for airborne platforms.”
AgilePod, the first fully government-owned, multi-intelligence, reconfigurable pod, was developed using agile manufacturing technology and a modular open mission system approach to software design, resulting in a system capable of supporting rapid integration and mission agility to address emerging threats in new environments. Read more
Source: www.wpafb.af.mil
