Wing and Bomb Bay Launched (WBBL) Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV)

The P-3 aircraft is required to fly multiple diverse missions, many of which could intrude into contested or hostile environments, jeopardizing the safety of the crew and aircraft. The aircraft can reduce this vulnerability by conducting its mission from high altitude and standoff range through the use of tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). AeroVironment proposes to leverage the X-Glider development effort to design a scaled, powered derivative of the X-Glider, dubbed X-Power, for sensor deployment and ISR missions. X-Power will be organic to the host aircraft, mounted directly in the bomb bay and/or wing pylon weapons mount. The UAV would have interchangeable modular payloads with sensor packages tailored for the specific mission. The UAVs could deploy sensors to a remote location, either autonomously, under manual control, or through a combination of autonomous and manual guidance, allowing the aircraft to maintain a safe distance. Real-time data link will enable the onboard sensor operator to quickly investigate, identify, and mark hostile vessels for interception or engagement while keeping the P-3 and crew out of harms way. Additionally, the use of UAVs would provide the capability to conduct operations simultaneously in multiple locations, greatly enhancing the operational effectiveness of the P-3 aircraft.