A new software upgrade has moved Boeing's X-45A unmanned air vehicle closer to a final demonstration planned for mid-year, even as US military officials debate details of a major restructuring for the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) programme.
A 13 May flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California showed that the X-45A works "properly" with the new Block 4 software package, says Boeing, with the UAV having flown at 15,000ft (4,570m) and Mach 0.4.
Boeing is preparing to launch a major demonstration exercise with the X-45A around mid-year with the Block 4 upgrade to allow it to fly a programmed route and autonomously respond to mission changes during flight. This will be the final major event before production launch of the larger X-45C for an operational assessment notionally planned from 2007.
However, the long-term schedule and requirements for the J-UCAS programme remain undefined, with the US Department of Defense having announced plans in February to restructure the effort, which also includes development of Northrop Grumman's X-47B.
Programme management is being transferred from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to the US Air Force. A $1 billion funding cut also is expected to stretch out the development schedule and narrow the USAF and US Navy's list of requirements.
Lt Gen Bill Looney, commander of the Aeronautical Systems Center, says participants are still debating the future of the programme, but that a decision is needed before the next round of budget decisions.
STEPHEN TRIMBLE/WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
