Aurora selected for Air Vehicle Integration and Technology Research (AVIATR) program

Aurora Flight Sciences announced today that it has been selected to support the Air Vehicle Integration and Technology Research (AVIATR) program from the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The objective of the AVIATR Program is to conduct research to develop, demonstrate, integrate and transition new air vehicle technologies and systems that will provide affordable, revolutionary capabilities to the warfighter. These technology developments will provide for cost effective, survivable air vehicle platforms capable of accurate delivery of weapons and cargo worldwide. AVIATR is an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract having a basic program budget of $139,000,000 with an additional $120,000,000 option budget. "With nearly 20 years of experience designing, fabricating, and testing revolutionary airplanes, Aurora is uniquely qualified to support the Air Force Research Laboratory on the AVIATR program," stated JC Ledé, Vice President for Advanced Concepts, Aurora's business sector managing this contract.

Via the first task order under this contract, Aurora Flight Sciences will support the development of an automated air refueling (AAR) capability. The program will build upon previous developed and demonstrated automated aerial refueling systems which have been based on non-redundant Precision Global Positioning System (PGPS) integrated with an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and an advanced datalink. Under this initial order Aurora will contribute to Test Plan Working Groups (TPWGs) establishing test objectives and reviewing test plans. Aurora's history of autonomous air vehicle development programs such as the GoldenEye 80 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) include technical aspects especially relevant to evaluating the development and flight test of an AAR system.