VIRGINIA – The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) tolaunch unmanned aerial systems (UASs) from airborne aircraft carriers.

This is the planned final phase of its “Gremlins” program, which aims todevelop swarms of reusable drones (the ‘gremlins’) which can be launchedand retrieved in mid-air, the E&T reports. The program was named after thedevious, fantastical creatures, which were blamed for sabotaging aircraftby British pilots serving in the Second World War.

The project aims to provide a cheaper alternative reusable drone to largeraircraft, which have higher payloads and maintenance costs.

When the gremlins complete their mission, a C-130 transport aircraft wouldretrieve them in the air and carry them home, where ground crews wouldprepare them for their next use within 24 hours.

The drones could be reused up to 20 times. Eventually, these drones couldbe deployed from stealthier, manned fighter aircraft as well as carriers.

Darpa has confirmed that it has awarded contracts to two US-based companiesGeneral Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Dynetics to develop designs forprototype drones and perform in-flight risk reduction testing for thesecond phase of the program.

Each ‘gremlin’ is required to carry a 60lb (27kg) payload for up to an hourwhile flying up to 300 nautical miles (556km) from its carrier. They may berecovered by being mounted onto the fixed wings of an aircraft or by beingloaded into a cargo bay.

The third phase of the program will select a contractor to build a UASswarm for full-scale technology demonstrations in 2019.