Date: Feb 16, 2012 Source:
Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation announced that its selection by Raytheon Corporation as a team member for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) program. Raytheon's PCAS solution aims to develop technologies that significantly reduce the timeline for close air support through improved coordination among Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs), airborne sensors and weapon systems.
Aurora will be the air vehicle platform lead and will be responsible for leveraging its extensive unmanned systems technology to develop an unmanned version of the Air Force's A-10 aircraft for demonstrating the PCAS technology. Raytheon's PCAS team members also include Rockwell Collins and GE Aviation. PCAS will incorporate a 'system-of-systems' approach to demonstrate the ability to digitally task a Close Air Support (CAS) platform from the ground. Raytheon will use an open architecture approach to enable the PCAS technology to be utilized in future command and control systems.
