Boeing has selected BAE Systems to upgrade and modernise the vehicle management system computer (VMSC) for the US Navy’s MQ-25 unmanned aerial refuelling system.

The technology refresh will increase computing power and address obsolescence issues, providing the autonomous aerial tanker with an integrated way to improve aircraft performance and allow for future capability growth.

BAE Systems’ VMSC controls all flight surfaces and performs overall vehicle management duties for the autonomous MQ-25. This is the US Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed aerial refuelling capability. It also aims to relieve the refuelling mission workload for F/A-18 aircraft, allowing them to take on other key mission roles, increasing the fleet’s capacity.

“BAE Systems is a leader in flight-critical systems,” said Corin Beck, senior director of military aircraft systems for controls and avionics at BAE Systems. “Our upgraded VMSC for the MQ-25 will deliver advanced functionality, enabling this platform to execute today and tomorrow’s critical missions, while also reducing the amount of hardware required on the aircraft through consolidation into this computer.”

The upgrade will use quad-core processors to increase computing power while optimising size, weight and power footprint on the aircraft. The multi-core processor selected for the MQ-25 VMSC has recently completed qualification on another US military platform thereby reducing cost, schedule and integration risk for this programme.

This system should deliver more capability by replacing multiple other onboard computers, improving aircraft reliability and reducing total lifecycle cost of ownership for the navy. The VMSC also provides growth capability to support future missions of the MQ-25, such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies, and lays the foundation for all future carrier-based unmanned systems by pioneering the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) operational concept.

BAE Systems (www.baesystems.com) also provides the identification friend or foe (IFF) system for the aircraft.

The company has more than 40 years of experience developing and integrating flight control technology for military and commercial platforms. Work on the VMSC (www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/flight-control-systems) occurs at BAE Systems’ engineering and manufacturing facility in Endicott, New York.