General Atomics Aeronautical Systems successfully released a new air-launched effects platform made with additive manufacturing from the internal weapons bay of an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned system. The company partnered with Divergent Technologies, Inc. to design and build the Advanced Air-Launched Effects vehicle, or A2LE, using Divergent’s Adaptive Production System (DAPS). This demonstration at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, showed additive manufacturing early in the design process can create efficiencies.
The flight was “a crucial first step in demonstrating GA-ASI’s ability to rapidly develop, manufacture, and test a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) in a controlled, low-risk approach,” according to Mike Atwood, company vice president of advanced programs. The U.S. Army has been extensively evaluating launched effects for approximately five years and is considering several size classes of launched effects.
General Atomics demonstrated another ALE — the Eaglet — that the company deployed from a Gray Eagle UAS a year ago in the large class. The company is working on several launched effects offerings in addition to Eaglet and A2LE like Sparrowhawk and LongShot, which all offer different options configured for different missions.
