US Military’s Gremlin “Swarm” Drone Completes Maiden Flight

America’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has announced the completion of Gremlins program X-61A military drone’s first flight test.

The test was conducted in late November at the US Army’s Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. It included one captive-carry mission aboard a C-130A and an airborne launch and free flight lasting just over an hour-and-a-half, DARPA said in a statement Friday.

The goal for this third phase of the Gremlins program was completion of a full-scale technology demonstration series featuring the air recovery of multiple, low-cost, reusable unmanned aerial systems (UASs), or “Gremlins.”

In a video released by “Dynetics” applied science and IT company, the drone can be seen drop-launched from under the wing of a US transport Lockheed C-130 Hercules aircraft. It then releases small wings and ignites its rocket engine, setting off for an autonomous flight.

“Safety, reliability, and affordability are the key objectives for the system, which would launch groups of UASs from multiple types of military aircraft while out of range from adversary defenses. Once Gremlins complete their mission, the transport aircraft would retrieve them in the air and carry them home, where ground crews would prepare them for their next use within 24 hours. The team met all objectives of the test in November, including gathering data on operation and performance, air and ground-based command and control systems, and flight termination,” DARPA said.

A parachute anomaly occurred in a recovery sequence that is specific to the test series and not part of the operational plan. The incident resulted in the loss of the test vehicle, one of five in the program. Four vehicles remain operational and available for the test series, which will continue in 2020.

"The vehicle performed well, giving us confidence we are on the right path and can expect success in our follow-on efforts," said Scott Wierzbanowski, the program manager for Gremlins in DARPA's Tactical Technology Office. "We got a closer look at vehicle performance for launch, rate capture, engine start, and transition to free flight. We had simulated the performance on the ground, and have now fully tested them in the air. We also demonstrated a variety of vehicle maneuvers that helped validate our aerodynamic data."

The next step for the program is a full evaluation of the test data, as well as to understand any issues related to the failure for the main parachute to deploy. The team anticipates the second flight test at Dugway in the spring 2020 timeframe to remain on track.

The C-130 is the demonstration platform for the Gremlins program, but Wierzbanowski says the Services could easily modify the system for another transport aircraft or other major weapons system. Gremlins also can incorporate several types of sensors up to 150 pounds, and easily integrate technologies to address different types of stakeholders and missions.

The US Air Force designated the Gremlins air vehicle as X-61A in August in recognition of the technical challenges associated with the program. A Dynetics-led team is the performer for the Phase 3 demonstration series.