Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has completed the second flight test of the new Airborne Sense and Avoid (ABSAA) sensor for the US Air Force Research Lab as part of the Multi Sensor Detect Sense and Avoid (MSDSA) programme.

During the airborne demonstration, the prototype radar sensor constantly detected and tracked airborne intruders, providing more than 60 seconds of avoidance time, which is greater than the requirements of the program.

"The entire sensor has been designed and developed as an ABSAA building block that is easily scalable to serve as the solution to multiple UAV CONOPS and installation challenges."

The ABSAA, used on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is equipped with SNC’s Electronically Reconfigurable Array.

SNC CNS/ATM Business Area corporate vice president Greg Cox said: "The entire sensor has been designed and developed as an ABSAA building block that is easily scalable to serve as the solution to multiple UAV CONOPS and installation challenges."

MSDSA programme manager for the Air Force Research Lab in Dayton, Ohio, John Koger added: "A key program objective is to advance the technology at lower cost relative to current electronically steered antennas."

The company has worked with various UAV and piloted original equipment manufacturers in order to select the airborne demonstration platform.

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MSDSA completed its first flight test with a prototype x-band radar sensor in November 2011.

The first airborne demonstration of the new Sense and Avoid (SAA) sensor detected and tracked several airborne intruders, giving rise to nearly 60 seconds of avoidance time.

SNC’s MSDSA programme is aimed at developing the SAA radar system for UAVs to sense and avoid all intruders during all weather, as well as on the ground and in all phases of flight.