PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) has introduced a new system to advance unmanned aviation testing, unveiled during a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field in St. Inigoes, Maryland, in May 2025. The Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS) enables developers to test software and mission equipment on a generic unmanned platform, streamlining the development process for unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
TULEPS allows payloads, such as electronic warfare pods, communication antennas, or electro-optical surveillance sensors, to be tested without the need for flight clearances. “When we test payloads on specific UAVs, it requires significant money, time, and effort because of the limitations of the UAV,” said NAWCAD lead experimentation engineer James Tomasic. “TULEPS is an innovative resource that allows us to focus first on the development of the actual payload technology.” Once the payload is refined, it can be integrated into a specific UAS platform.
The system’s tether provides multiple benefits: it powers payloads for extended testing, enables flights in most weather conditions, securely transmits data, and allows deployment on ships or trucks to elevate antennas and sensors for greater reach. “If we want to test an electronic warfare pod, a new communication antenna, or an electro-optical surveillance sensor, we can put it on the TULEPS system with very little paperwork,” said Chief Test Pilot Lt. Col. Jason Noll of NAWCAD’s Unmanned Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24. “The system is already approved, so we don’t have to obtain a new clearance – we can test on a shorter timeline with fewer manhours and save money as well.”
NAWCAD’s Experimentation Office (NEO) collaborated with DPI UAV Systems to develop TULEPS, culminating in a two-day training event that included classroom and hands-on instruction. More than 10 UX-24 air vehicle operators became the command’s first qualified TULEPS operators. “NEO is here to help solve problems and support all of NAWCAD,” Tomasic said. “We are constantly looking at game-changing technologies like TULEPS that bring new capabilities to the warfare center.”
Based in Patuxent River, NAWCAD operates test ranges, laboratories, and aircraft to support test, evaluation, research, development, and sustainment for Navy and Marine Corps aviation platforms. The command has major sites in St. Inigoes, Maryland; Lakehurst, New Jersey; and Orlando, Florida. Its workforce of military, civilian, and contract personnel drives innovation to enhance naval aviation capabilities.
TULEPS is expected to reduce costs and accelerate UAS development by simplifying the testing process. The system’s flexibility supports a range of payloads, making it a versatile tool for NAWCAD’s mission to advance unmanned aviation technologies. As the Navy continues to integrate UAS into its operations, TULEPS positions NAWCAD to meet emerging demands efficiently.
