YPG’s clear, stable air and extremely dry climate along with vast institutional UAS testing knowledge makes it an attractive location to host this kind of work. “We’re not currently deployed in theater, but we are testing new developmental payloads for other programs of record.” “We’ve done over 10,000 combat missions and 75,000 flight hours in theater,” said Reed. The TigerShark was a workhorse of surveillance and reconnaissance operations in Iraq and Afghanistan between 20, and continues to undergo testing at YPG today. “When we started, it was basically a big radio-controlled toy. “The TigerShark of today is nothing like when we started,” said David Reed, Navair electronics engineer. All of these capabilities were integrated into the platform over the past 15 years, and the vast majority of testing for each subsequent improvement occurred here. It boasts laser radar that can see through obstructions like foliage and camouflage to produce three-dimensional images of an object. Today’s TigerShark flies many miles away from its ground controller and provides high-quality video for upwards of eight hours, both day and night, as it loiters quietly high overhead. “It is a reliable workhorse that is very accurate when it comes to the flight profile that is programmed into it.” “The autopilot in this airframe is amazing,” said Troy Rodriguez, YPG test coordinator. Army Yuma Proving Ground's position at the forefront of Army modernization has garnered immense acclaim in recent years, but its importance to developmental testing dates back decades. (Photo Credit: Mark Schauer) VIEW ORIGINAL One system that cut its teeth at YPG from its earliest days is the TigerShark, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) that has flown thousands of hours in combat theaters.
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