AeroVironment unmanned systems expansion

AeroVironment has initiated several strategic partnerships to expand its unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and enhance communication resilience. The company established a memorandum of understanding with Alpha Unmanned Systems S.L. to provide training, maintenance, and sustainment for the JUMP 20 fixed-wing UAS, specifically targeting markets in Spain, Europe, and Latin America.

Simultaneously, AeroVironment is collaborating with the Australian firm Elsight to upgrade the Mayhem 10 autonomous military drone system. This partnership integrates Elsight’s Halo technology, which utilizes network bonding to combine satellite, cellular, and radio links into a single connection. This integration is intended to maintain control in environments where electronic warfare or damaged infrastructure might disrupt communications.

Further developments from Elsight include a new positioning capability for uncrewed aircraft, ground, and maritime platforms. This technology uses a cellular-based technique to provide absolute geolocation in areas where GPS signals are jammed, spoofed, or unavailable. The system employs a multi-source fusion engine to compare GPS data with cellular network measurements, allowing for operation without GPS, internet, or visual references.