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DCNS and Thales awarded Phase 2 of the UAV Deck Landing Study D2AD

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

June 18, 2009

thomas

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded DCNS and Thales the second
phase of the D2AD* study to design and demonstrate an automatic takeoff, landing and deck
landing system for rotary-wing UAVs. Phase 2 demonstration trials will be conducted in
Mesa, Arizona, and will use the AH-6U Little Bird unmanned helicopter from Boeing.
Landing tests on fixed and moving platforms will pave the way for deck landing trials on a
French Navy vessel at sea, planned for mid-2011.
The DGA awarded the D2AD study contract in late 2008 as part of a broader risk reduction
effort to support future tactical UAV programmes for the French Navy and Army. The
DCNS/Thales system demonstrator will incorporate the full spectrum of operational
constraints related to takeoff, landing and deck landing operations, including the required
levels of discretion in a range of environmental, weather and sea state conditions.
Thales is responsible for the landing system, the UAV system and the trajectory control
system. DCNS is responsible for ship motion prediction, the deck landing strategy and for
securing the UAV to the flight deck.
The D2AD study is conducted in three phases:
·  Phase 1 includes definition of a complete set of specifications for the D2AD system
and associated interfaces.
·  Phase 2, awarded in early May, includes development of the demonstrator and trials
on land.
·  Phase 3 will conclude the study with final deck landing trials on a French Navy vessel
in high sea state conditions (up to sea state 5).
*D2AD: Démonstration d’un système d’appontage et d’atterrissage pour drones (UAV landing system
demonstration programme)

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