UAVs

The US Army has awarded AAI a $32 million contract to integrate tactical common data link (TCDL) into the company's Shadow tactical unmanned aircraft system (UAS). TCDL is a Ku-band digital data link for wideband communications that is compliant with NATO and US Army standards.

AAI says the system will be designed to provide Shadow users with a common interface with other military systems that incorporate TCDL and its interoperability standards, including the Sky Warrior and Hunter UAS as well as the Apache helicopter. In addition to digital sensor technology, TCDL features encryption capabilities for enhanced data security. The contract was awarded by the US Army's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

"The incredible success our customers have experienced with the Shadow TUAS during more than 420,000 operational hours continually drives us to make the system more multi-mission capable," says AAI vice president of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Steven Reid. "The integration of TCDL provides greater flexibility, data security and interoperability to support mission success. It is exciting to help bring battlefield interoperability across US Army manned and unmanned aviation assets."