FORT WALTON BEACH, FL – January 2023 – Intuitive Research and Technology Corporation (INTUITIVE®) is excited to provide the 96th Test Wing and the Air Force Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office with new autonomous aircraft testing capabilities on the Eglin Gulf Test and Training Range (EGTTR).
Eglin’s new XQ-58 aircraft, operated in partnership with INTUITIVE, enhances testing capabilities that the 96th Test Wing offers to advanced technology programs such as Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and others that leverage autonomy and artificial intelligence.
Team INTUITIVE will provide critical equipment, engineering, operations, and support to EGTTR as autonomous aircraft are integrated into range operations. Additionally, Team INTUITIVE offers the ability to host various autonomy suites or software agents on the experimental aircraft. The software developers may be Government Program Offices or product companies/vendors who the Government would like to evaluate for potential integration.
Eglin Area Program Manager, Lane Odom, said, “We are grateful for the leadership that the 96th Test Wing and the SDPE Office have shown to advance the capabilities and trust in autonomous systems. This new autonomous aircraft test capability offers program offices data-driven test technology to effectively validate system performance in an operationally relevant environment.”
The future of air warfare will most certainly involve machine autonomy. INTUITIVE is at the cutting edge of development and experimentation activities to incorporate greater autonomy into Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). INTUITIVE’s capabilities include integration of flight safety mechanisms and open-air testing approaches to gain confidence and increase trust in these systems. With experience in providing large scale autonomous flying test beds, delivering new data distribution and analysis infrastructure, providing modeling and simulation support, and supporting test logistics and safety for autonomous UAS projects—it is INTUITIVE’s mission to provide military capability through machine autonomy in an ethical and safe way that benefits our national defense objectives.
ABOUT INTUITIVE RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION:
INTUITIVE® is an aerospace engineering and analysis firm headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama that provides production support, software and systems engineering, programmatic support, product development, rapid prototyping, and technology management to the Department of Defense, other State and Federal Government agencies, and commercial companies. Our approach couples the latest technology with engineering expertise, analytical proficiency, and keen managerial oversight. From design through production to sustainment, we proudly provide management and technical solutions throughout all phases of the system’s life cycle.