TERN UAS

Abstract

The goal of this program is to develop a Concept Demonstrator UAV, and perform technical demonstration of a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE UAV) capability from smaller ships. The program will demonstrate the technology for launch and recovery of large unmanned aircraft capable of providing persistent 24/7 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and strike capabilities at long radius orbits. Extending the ISR/strike radius while simultaneously increasing time on station beyond current capabilities from smaller ships will enable novel operational concepts including maritime surveillance and responsive, persistent deep overland ISR and strike, without requirement for forward basing. To achieve these goals, the program will investigate new concepts for aircraft launch and recovery, aircraft logistics and maintenance, and aircraft flight in regimes associated with maritime operating conditions. MALE technologies have been under development by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research to prove basic capability; the Navy will fund mission utility assessments and envelope expansion and to assess this technology's ability to meet Navy and COCOM warfighting gaps. The MALE UAV Technology Demonstrator will also inform requirements for an aviation family of systems to support the Future Surface Combatant (FSC) POR and Distributed Maritime Operations.

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2019
• Source ID: 3429_0304240N_4_1319_PB_2019

Tags

Readers

• Maritime Combat Support and Expeditionary Logistics.
• Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

• Autonomy
• Autonomy - UAVs
• Space
• Space - Satellites