Army to get Raven UAS with digital data links

The Army has ordered 50 new Raven(R) unmanned aircraft systems equipped with digital data links (DDL) from AeroVironment Inc.

The $16.7 million order, which was placed in late January, will be filled under an existing contract, company officials said Feb. 9. The order also includes DDL retrofit kits for 206 existing Raven(R) systems, they said.

All of AeroVironment’s small UAS originally relied on a four-channel analog data link, which limited the number of the aircraft that could be operated in a specific geographical area.

The DDL technology marks an improvement in communications security and increases the number of communication channels by a factor of four, thus enabling warfighters to deploy more Raven(R) systems where they are needed, John Grabowsky, executive vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s UAS segment, said in a statement.

The Monrovia, Calif.-based company designed the DDL technology to conform to the weight, volume and power parameters of the 4.2 pound UAS. The Raven(R) is designed to be mounted on a backpack and has a hand-launched sensor platform that provides real-time video imagery during both day and night for reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition by tactical units.