Last week, uAvionix, a leading provider of low Size Weight and Power (SWaP) avionics for aerospace and defense, along with their partner R Cubed Engineering, announced the AIMS Mk XIIB certification of the RT-2087/ZPX-1 (ZPX-1), the World’s first AIMS-certified Mode 5 Micro-IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) Combined Transponder Receiver (CTR) and the first-ever Mode 5 CTR to be AIMS-certified when paired to the newly certified KIV-79. The groundbreaking achievement delivers enhanced situational awareness and Combat ID capabilities for tactical warfighters in the modern battlespace with crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
Paul Beard, Chief Technical Officer at uAvionix, stated, “Hostilities in Eastern Europe and the Pacific Rim are currently of great concern and getting a lot of thoughtful analysis on how best to address these emerging threats. If nothing else, the ZPX-1 CTR puts another, arguably more modern, surveillance and Combat ID tool into the warfighter’s toolbox.”
Previous AIMS certifications encompassed transponders, interrogators, and combined interrogator transponders (CITs). Transponders facilitate communication with Air Traffic Control or suitably equipped aircraft, while CIT interrogators perform Combat ID by distinguishing between nearby friendly forces and potential adversaries. The ZPX-1 CTR, featuring a passive receiver, presents a silent alternative to active interrogation, bolstering operational security by sidestepping emissions susceptible to anti-radiation weaponry, pairing a 91-gram CTR with a 176-gram KIV-79 crypto results in a sub-10 oz package, broadening operational options for airborne platforms as diminutive as Group 1. Noteworthy is the empowerment of small tactical drones to carry a transponder and passive receiver, delivering battlefield situational awareness, Combat ID assistance, and NATO’s latest interoperability standard—Mode 5 protection.
The ZPX-1 is the fruit of collaboration between uAvionix and prime contractor R Cubed Engineering. Backed by Navy and Army funding, R Cubed engaged uAvionix in early 2020, culminating in the development of the AIMS Mk XIIB-certified ZPX Micro-IFF transponder for small Uncrewed Aerial Systems (sUAS). Evolving from the original ZPX, the ZPX-1 integrates the uAvionix ZPR passive Mode 5 receiver, maintaining a uniform form factor and software interface. This seamless transition offers current ZPX users an effortless upgrade path to the enhanced capabilities of the ZPX-1.
Post Image Credit- uAvionix
