SAN DIEGO - General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) in San Diego has been selected by the U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command program office PMA-281 for the Collaborative Autonomy Mission Planning and Debrief (CAMP) project, an effort to advance mission planning, artificial intelligence (AI) model management, and autonomy workflows for autonomous combat platforms ahead of a planned fleet demonstration in 2026. The Navy did not disclose contract value or acquisition structure.
The CAMP initiative is intended to extend PMA-281’s mission planning software framework to support autonomy-enabled operations, including behavioral tasking, rules of engagement configuration, AI decision thresholds, and post-mission analysis. The effort will integrate with the Navy’s Joint Digital Autonomy Range and Joint Simulation Environment to enable rapid testing and validation of autonomy-driven mission scenarios.
The project also includes demonstrations of mission planning and execution capabilities on the MQ-20 Avenger platform equipped with a government-referenced implementation of autonomy, along with electronic warfare and infrared search-and-track payloads. The system architecture emphasizes resilient communications and networking through Link 16, Tactical Targeting Network Technology, and Starlink satellite communications to support distributed command and control.
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CAMP initiative
In addition to mission execution, the CAMP effort focuses on enterprise-level mission planning and trusted AI governance, including secure AI model lifecycle management, human oversight, and integration with high-fidelity simulation environments. These capabilities are intended to enable rapid iteration, testing, and deployment of autonomy-enabled systems in operationally relevant conditions.
The planned demonstration will evaluate mission planning and debrief capabilities in complex, contested scenarios, including coordinated operations with Link 16-enabled platforms such as the F/A-18 Super Hornet. The effort is designed to show how software-defined mission planning can support autonomy-enabled behaviors, electronic warfare and infrared sensing employment, and coordinated targeting in future naval aviation operations.
