Bird on a wire, ScanEagle landing on USS Ponce

A great new video from PBS News of a Scan Eagle being caught in the wire, a deceptively simple way of recovering a UAS to a moving ship. It really is the benchmark sUAS fixed wing system. The thing that really caught my eye though was the name of the ship, I don’t think the Royal Navy will be rushing to use the name.

ScanEagle launches autonomously and uses a patented no-nets recovery solution for recovery. The system recovers with its wing tip on a rope that hangs from a boom. The system design is modular. The result is a reliable, in-the-field adaptable system. Operations and maintenance are simplified, and field upgrade kits rapidly deliver new capabilities to existing operations. Operators command pre-programmed or operator-initiated missions, while a global positioning system and onboard flight computer guide the aircraft. Mission capabilities are increased with flexible hub-and-spoke system configurations.