Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Abstract

This PE will focus USAF efforts on long endurance Remotely-Piloted Aircraft (RPAs), which allows days, months, or years of endurance as well as their associated sensors and communications suites. Efforts can include airships and more standard aircraft structures. The Integrated Sensor IS Structure (ISIS) Program is developing a radar of unprecedented proportions that is fully integrated into a station-keeping stratospheric airship. The ISIS will support the nation's need for persistent wide-area surveillance, tracking, and engagement of time-critical air and ground targets. Automated surveillance and tracking includes air targets to the radar horizon of 600 km and all ground targets to a range of 300 km. The radar aperture also provides track data and other communications directly to users in-theater. The system is expected to be launched from CONUS locations with a multi-year operational life. No support personnel or facilities are required in-theater. Efforts will include work on the ground station and the corresponding Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) connectivity. The Blue Devil II system is an Air Force led single ship technology and concept demonstration of multi-intelligence, cross-platform tipping and cueing of fused SIGINT, wide area and high-definition (HD) EO/IR motion imagery on a persistent lighter-than-air (LTA) airship. Blue Devil II will employ a payload integration infrastructure (PII) with a Command and Control (C2) and Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) Ground Station. This effort directly supports multiple validated CENTCOM urgent needs, and contributes directly to force protection and counter Improvised Explosive Device missions for coalition Forces. Funds in both projects also cover activities to include studies and analysis to support both current program planning and execution and future program planning. This program is in Budget Activity 7, Operational System Development because this budget activity includes development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year.

Document Details

• Document Type: R2 Budgetary Justification
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2012
• Source ID: 0305205F_7_3600_PB_2012
• Change Summary Explanation: The ISIS Program is currently being developed by DARPA. USAF began to cost share development beginning in FY10 with possible program transition from DARPA to the USAF following flight test in FY13. Blue Devil II airship development began in FY10 using Army Rapid Equipping Force funds. The Air Force assumed management of the program when FY10 funds were placed in PE 0305206F and 0603203F to continue airship development and begin sensor integration. PE 0305205F will be used to manage the program for all FY12 and out funding. This program was listed as a new start in the FY10 OMNIBUS (FY 10-24 PA). The initiative is supported by the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO).
• Service Agency Name: Air Force

Entities

Organizations

• United States Air Force

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Air Platforms
• Autonomy
• C4I
• Human Systems
• Sensors
• Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Acquisition
• Air Force
• Aircrafts
• Airframes
• Command And Control
• Cost Analysis
• Cost Estimates
• Costs
• Demonstrations
• Explosive Devices
• Explosives
• Force Protection
• Ground Stations
• Improvised Explosive Devices
• Joint Military Activities
• Stations
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Readers

• Civilian Systems Systems Program Capability Development and Upgrade Support Activity Expense and Pay Management.
• Sensor Fusion and Tracking Systems.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control
• Space
• Space - Satellites
• Space - Space Objects