DARPA’s TERN Competition Takes Shape 10/24/2013

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DARPA’s TERN Competition Takes Shape



   
       
           
       
       
           
       
   

 
 Image courtesy DARPA.





By Ashley Addington



Phase one contracts under DARPA’s Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) program are beginning to trickle out, as five companies have so far been awarded contracts to develop ideas for unmanned aircraft that could be based on existing U.S. Navy ships, such as the Littoral Combat Ship and others.



Aurora Flight Sciences, of Manassas, Va., announced on 24 Oct. that it has been awarded $2.8 million for research on the program.



"Aurora's TERN solution would be a disruptive technology capable of transforming how the U.S. Navy conducts operations in the 21st century,” says Aurora CEO John Langford. “TERN would enable unmanned air vehicles with significant payload capabilities to operate from a large number of ships that do not have runways." 



Carter Aviation of Wichita Falls, Texas, earlier announced that it also has been selected for a $2.2 million study and plans to offer its patented Slowed Rotor/Compound technology, which couples fixed-wing aircraft performance with vertical takeoff and landing capability.



The company is “actively seeking a major aerospace systems integrator” to partner with for subsequent phases of the program and could also conduct a privately funded shipboard demonstration of its prototype for DARPA, the company says.



Baltimore-based Maritime Applied Physics Corp. was the first out of the gate with a contract this summer, receiving $2.2 million for its first-phase work, followed by Monrovia, Calif.-based AeroVironment.



Northrop Grumman has also been awarded $2.9 million for its work on the program’s initial phase. According to DARPA, a second solicitation for phase one performers will be issued for follow-on phase work.