TERN UAS

Abstract

The goal of this program is to develop technologies to allow for their evaluation in the Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO) construct to support requirements refinement for aviation support to current and future surface combatants to include the Future Surface Combatant (FSC) program. This program will conduct studies and analysis of requirements to determine the most effective allocation of mission requirements to aviation platforms and between manned and unmanned platforms to enable future DMO and FSC operations. Areas of analysis will include, but are not limited to, over-the horizon communications, targeting, distributed maneuvering, manned-unmanned platform mix, and optimized sensor payload configurations to satisfy DMO mission gaps. The program will demonstrate organic shipboard platforms capable of providing persistent 24/7 Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, early warning, and anti-surface strike capabilities at long radius orbits. To achieve these goals, the program will investigate new concepts for aircraft launch and recovery, logistics, and maintenance in maritime operating conditions. This effort will assist in funding mission utility technical assessment of a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (MALE UAV) technology demonstrators intended for surface combatants. This program will demonstrate an over the horizon communications ISR network to address joint service wireless high data rate communications, interoperability, and targeting gaps for Navy's DMO roadmap. The ISR communications network will provide cross-domain connectivity, including prototyping of systems such as the joint service Manned-Unmanned Distributed Lethality Airborne Network (MUDLAN), for Navy specific platforms. This payload provides information exchange between multi-domain platforms at very high data rates in a spectrum challenged environment without reliance on space-based capabilities and provides an alternate Precision Navigation and Timing (PNT) capability for operating in a GPS-denied environment. This effort includes fleet experimentation of the technology with manned-unmanned assets in a cross-domain, joint service DMO environment. This program funds continuing advancement and experimentation of the enabling sensor technologies required to operate in the DMO environment, such as demonstrating sense and avoid sensors and autonomy software in real world environments and advanced ice detection systems to avoid potential loss of aircraft when operating at extreme ranges. Additionally, the project will support prototype development and fleet experimentation of other mission payloads required for DMO gaps. Prototypes will be demonstrated in Fleet exercises to inform requirements for an aviation family of systems to support the FSC Program of Record and Fleet operations in a DMO construct.

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Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
3429_0304240N_4_1319_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

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

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