Textron Systems and Textron Aviation have announced the successful integration and demonstration of Textron’s manned-unmanned teaming capability via the Textron Systems' Synturian control and collaboration technology and Textron Aviation Defense Scorpion jet.

Synturian control and collaboration technologies empower situational awareness and informed action, while the Textron Aviation Defense Scorpion jet provides the warfighter with a technological advantage, while also delivering “exceptional mission readiness at unparalleled low acquisition, operating and training costs.”

“Through Textron Systems’ extensive experience in the field and Textron Aviation Defense’s expertise, we realize the revolutionary benefits that manned-unmanned teaming can deliver to keep manned assets out of harm’s way,” says Textron Systems Vice President of Programs Wayne Prender.

“Together, Synturian command and control technologies and the Scorpion jet take this capability to the next-level – increasing Textron Systems’ Level of Interoperability (LOI) from 3 to 4, while enabling multi-vehicle command and control from a moving airborne asset.”

The team installed Synturian software into the cockpit mission computer of the Scorpion jet during the rapid proof of concept demonstration. The team simulated a NIGHTWARDEN Tactical UAS and an Aerosonde small UAS for the demonstration, which featured flight acquisition and control of the simulated air vehicles and sensors (up to LOI 4).

​The Scorpion aircrew used Synturian for several tasks, including setting up flight route waypoints, establishing surveillance orbits, steering the sensor and changing the unmanned aircraft heading, airspeed and altitude. The simulated UAS were then able to operate without further aircrew interaction.

“The ability to easily and intuitively control unmanned systems from the cockpit of a manned tactical aircraft is a game-changer,” says Textron Aviation Defense Senior Flight Test Pilot Brett Pierson, after flying the Scorpion-Synturian test missions.

“The tactical and operational ramifications of this new capability are enormous. Further extending Scorpion’s sensor suite and penetrating a weather layer to generate target coordinates; or creating a triangulated solution independently; or adding layers to a multi-spectral fused solution, deliver an entirely new set of tactical capabilities that have never been possible in a fighter-typed aircraft.”

Going forward, Textron Systems and Textron Aviation Defense plan to “advance integration efforts, testing and demonstration of this transformational capability with fully-operational unmanned aircraft” to interested customers across the world.