The ungainly looking machine below is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) from BAE Systems that is capable of vertical take-off and landing.
It was recently demonstrated at
The system is designed to fly for more than one hour and deploy a signals intelligence (SIGINT) payload, known as WolfPack.
WolfPack consists of unattended sensors designed to detect and disrupt enemy radio transmissions, while avoiding disruption to friendly military and protected commercial communications and radars.
BAE Systems integrated WolfPack with its UAS as part of DARPA's Network Centric Experiment VIP Demonstration in January.
'This demonstration shows that unattended battlefield sensors can not only operate autonomously, they can also be self-deploying, self-relocating and, if needed, self-recovering,' said DARPA programme manager Preston Marshall.
The emitter detection mission was conducted autonomously, carrying the 22lb SIGINT payload over a 1.1-km course. Launch and recovery were conducted from different locations to emphasise how the UAS would be deployed.
During the flight it reached a speed of more than 35mph, while winds varied from 11 to 23 mph.
The system landed autonomously within a metre of the designated touchdown point. After touchdown, the system successfully detected the presence of a simulated radar.
BAE's unmanned craft is designed to carry intelligence sensors into battle
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