Open questionOpen
What sensors were actually on Orion by March 2014?
PB2015 says Aurora and BIG SAFARI were identifying best-of-breed GFE through FY2014. First flight had no mission system. Gorgon Stare / MTS-B / VADER remain leads, not fits.
Priority: contract modifications Aug 2013–Mar 2014 naming payload, GFE, datalink; weight/power vs 1,000 lb envelope; any sortie cards from China Lake.
Sources
- USAF PB2015 PE 0305205F
Related
OrganisationConfirmed24 Aug 2013 00:00 UTC
Aurora Orion RPA
Twin-diesel MALE UAS · China Lake first flight 24 Aug 2013
OrganisationConfirmed1 Jul 2014 00:00 UTC
Gorgon Stare
645 AESG wide-area airborne surveillance for MQ-9
ClaimConfirmed
Orion’s first flight carried no mission system
EvidenceUnverified
Raytheon MTS-B as Orion payload lead
Reported option · 2012–13 USAF UAV MTS bookings in the $200m class
OrganisationConfirmed1 Jul 2010 00:00 UTC
MAGIC
Medium Altitude Global ISR and Communications