USAF is moving ahead with efforts to integrate the Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload on its Global Hawk and Predator unmanned aerial vehicles, says a senior Air Force weapons buyer. The Sigint package has already flown on the U-2 and its development is progressing well, Martha Evans, director for information dominance programs, said during a meeting with reporters on Jan. 29 (see above). Developmental flight testing of a scaled version of ASIP is set to begin this month on the Global Hawk Block 30 aircraft. USAF let a contract in December 2007 for a scaled-down version of the sensor to put on the MQ-1 Predator. USAF also intends to integrate ASIP on the MQ-9 Reaper. ASIP will be able to detect and identify electronic signals and geo-locate them among its capabilities, Evans said.
A legislative standoff has led to a lapse in a $4.26 billion small business innovation contracting program widely used by the Air Force and could spell the end of it entirely, industry sources warned Air & Space Forces Magazine.
