Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Abstract
This PE focuses USAF efforts on long endurance platforms which allow days, months, or years of endurance, as well as their associated sensors and communications suites. Efforts include, but are not limited to, optionally piloted airships, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) or more standard aircraft structures which could be flown as manned or unmanned. The Integrated Sensor IS Structure (ISIS) project was planned to develop a radar which is fully integrated into a station-keeping, stratospheric airship. ISIS supports 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 is intended to provide track data directly to users in-theater. The objective system was planned to launch from CONUS locations with a multi-year operational life. The Blue Devil Block 2 (BD2) project was 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. BD2 was intended to employ a payload integration infrastructure (PII) with a Command and Control (C2) and Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (PED) Ground Station in mid FY 2012 through FY 2013. The development effort was stopped in the 3rd Quarter of FY 2012 and all BD2 equipment was packed and shipped to the 645 AESG (BIG SAFARI) managed short term storage facility in Greenville, TX during the 4th Quarter of FY 2012. The Medium Altitude Global ISR and Communications (MAGIC) project develops a multiple day, medium altitude ISR unmmanned aircraft system (UAS) to provide long endurance surveillance with a multiple sensor payload. This concept was initiated by OSD/DD&R as a Joint Capabilities Technology Demonstration (JCTD) in the 3rd Quarter FY 2010 with a competition between five defense industry partners. Aurora Flight Sciences' Orion remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) concept was chosen as the JCTD candidate by OSD/DDR&E per the recommendation of the Combatant Commands. The MAGIC/Orion RPA initiative was subsequently released from the JCTD process and transitioned to the Air Force as the sponsor of this developmental initiative in the 3rd Quarter FY 2011. The Air Force is scheduling the first flight series for Aurora Flight Sciences' Orion RPA, as a proof of concept for air worthiness; this flight test is projected to take place at NAWS China Lake, CA in the 3rd Quarter of FY 2013. 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, 2014
- Source ID
- 0305205F_7_3600_PB_2014
- Change Summary Explanation
- Reduction of $19.904M in FY 2012 reflects an incorrect database. Actual funding was $127.925M. Reduction of $5M in FY 2014 due to higher Department priorities.
- Service Agency Name
- Air Force
Entities
Organizations
- United States Air Force
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