Cobham Aerospace Connectivity has been selected by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) and the U.S. Army to provide the anti-jam GPS systems for the MQ-1C ER Gray Eagle Extended Range (GE-ER) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) platform.

As part of a multi-domain operation equipment suite that is compatible with existing GE-ER aircraft, the DACU-8 capability provides assured positioning, navigation and timing to the Gray Eagle ER UAS, weapons and sensors. According to Cobham, this modification to the Gray Eagle ER UAS ensures the platform can provide reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition and attack capability, even in a GPS contested environment.

The digital antenna control unit (DACU) and controlled radiation pattern array antenna system were chosen for their performance in jammed and benign environments, as well as their ability to output direction finding to on-board systems, Cobham said. This direction-finding capability allows the system to perform as a sensor, enabling the platform to identify, locate and respond to the jamming threat.

“GA-ASI and Cobham collaborated very closely on integration activities and on-platform performance evaluations to deliver cutting edge technology for the U.S. Army,” said Matt Cadwell, North America sales director at Cobham. “Cobham is very proud to support GA-ASI’s leadership through the ‘survive, persist and thrive’ evolution in denied environments. The DACU-8 capability ensures GE-ER’s ability to persist in a contested environment, providing critical RSTA capability in a contested environment, supporting the Army, as well as the joint force.”