Airbus A310 MRTT aircraft controlled four DT-25 aerial refuelling drones for 6 hours

Airbus was able to successfully test the Auto'Mate technology, which enables the implementation of unmanned aerial refuelling. The company conducted two tests, which lasted a total of 12 hours.

Here's What We Know

An Airbus A310 MRTT aerial refueller took part in the tests. Auto'Mate technology enabled it to take turns controlling eight DT-25 drones (four in each test).

Initially, the drones were controlled from a ground station. After the drones reached the Gulf of Cadiz, control was transferred to the A310 MRTT. It managed to reposition the drones to match the position of the aircraft that needed to be refueled.

Airbus specialists will study GPS data as well as information from LiDAR and cameras to assess the success of the test in more detail. In the future, Airbus plans to run new tests, reducing human involvement and, therefore, increasing the level of autonomy.

Source: Defence News