Lost
| quote: 3. How many rounds to they carry?
I think that typical minigun pods were fed from 1500-rd drums. Don't know about these new ones if the same. |
| | | Posts: 17330 | Location: SF Bay Area | Registered: December 11, 2003 | 
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The Unmanned Writer
| https://www.ga.com/ga-asi-sele...build-cca-for-aflcmcquote:
SAN DIEGO – 24 April 2024 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has been selected to build production representative flight test articles of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) for the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s (AFLCMC) Advanced Aircraft Division. This option contract award by the Advanced Aircraft Division exercises the critical design, build, and flight test on the existing CCA contract with GA-ASI following an initial 6-month phase that culminated in a successful CCA preliminary design review (PDR) earlier this year.
The CCA program aims to be a force multiplier, developing a low-cost, modular, unmanned aircraft equipped with advanced sensors or weapons and operating in collaborative teams with the next generation of manned combat aircraft.
In February 2024, GA-ASI successfully conducted the maiden flight of the XQ-67A CCA prototype aircraft validating the “genus/species” concept pioneered by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) as part of the Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS) program. This program focused on building several aircraft variants from a common core chassis. Since then, this prototype for CCA has successfully completed two additional test flights, laying the groundwork for a successful production and flight test program. GA-ASI’s CCA production representative design is based upon the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station developed by GA-ASI for the AFRL.
“The CCA program redefines the future of aviation and will shape the USAF acquisition model to deliver affordable combat mass to the warfighter at the speed of relevancy,” said Mike Atwood, Vice President of Advanced Programs for GA-ASI.
“Throughout our 30-year history, GA-ASI has been at the forefront of rapidly advancing unmanned aircraft systems that support our warfighters,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “The USAF is moving forward with GA-ASI due to our focused commitment to unmanned air-to-air combat operations and unmatched UAS experience, ensuring the production of the CCA aircraft at scale to deliver affordable combat mass for the warfighter.”
To complement the CCA contract, GA-ASI will continue to conduct a series of autonomy and mission system tests on the MQ-20 Avenger® UAS and XQ-67A to accelerate the readiness of operational autonomy. These live flight tests will continue to demonstrate the readiness of the full mission capability to support the emerging U.S. Air Force Autonomous Collaborative Platforms (ACP).
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| | | Posts: 14333 | Location: It was Lat: 33.xxxx Lon: 44.xxxx now it's CA :( | Registered: March 22, 2008 |
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goodheart
| They test these babies out in the Mojave Desert. It would be cool to see some of the flight tests. There's an expo going on at the San Diego Convention Center right now that includes vendors of "uncrewed" aircraft platforms. I suppose the announcement above may have been made at that convention.
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| | | Posts: 18794 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004 |
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goodheart
| That DAP-6 pod is just one option; it hangs from a standard NATO bomb rack. The article talks about working toward swiveling gun pods so the aircraft doesn't have to be aimed in the same direction as the guns.
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| | | Posts: 18794 | Location: One hop from Paradise | Registered: July 27, 2004 |
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Member
| quote: Originally posted by Voshterkoff:
Ok, I’m not sure what altitude .308 is effective from, but I bet it’s within manpad range. Im slightly worried about who this was designed to be used against.
The same folks we use the door guns of the choppers on. |
| | | Posts: 4863 | Location: Where ever Uncle Sam Sends Me | Registered: March 05, 2007 |
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Bolt Thrower
| quote: Originally posted by CD228:
The same folks we use the door guns of the choppers on.
Unless I’m mistaken, door guns are close range defense for a helicopter whose primary job is to land and load/unload. What possible reason would you put such a short distance weapon on a large format drone? |
| | | Posts: 10105 | Location: Woodinville, WA | Registered: March 30, 2004 |
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Member
| quote: Originally posted by Voshterkoff: quote: Originally posted by CD228:
The same folks we use the door guns of the choppers on.
Unless I’m mistaken, door guns are close range defense for a helicopter whose primary job is to land and load/unload. What possible reason would you put such a short distance weapon on a large format drone?
As you mentioned, self-defense against ground targets, also (not necessarily pertinent to this test) self-defense against other UAVS. Breaking ambushes, stopping squirter vehicles, damaging enemy commo equipment, Taking out light patrol boats, SOF support, DIV or BDE level missions, Etc. It's a light weight, low-cost alternative to guided missiles or a heavier auto-cannon. You can also use it in close proximity to friendly troops as it's SDZ is smaller than the hellfire's missiles also carried by the drone. We've been putting machine gun pods and (.50 and Mini-Guns) on OH-6 and UH-58s since Vietnam. As an Infantry PL we practiced calling gun runs with 58s (before they got rid of them). They were very useful in IRAQ for dealing with insurgents. |
| | | Posts: 4863 | Location: Where ever Uncle Sam Sends Me | Registered: March 05, 2007 |
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Member
| Jimmy DeGroat, DeGroat Tactical developed a silencer for the 134.  
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