1 AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2010 Exploiting Unmanned Aircraft Systems Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm USAF Chief Scientist Air Force Pentagon Headquarters U.S. Air Force 21 April 2010 Their Role in Future Military Operations and the Emergent Technologies that will Shape Their Development
27
Embed
Exploiting Unmanned Aircraft Systems · PDF fileExploiting Unmanned Aircraft Systems Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm ... Once UAV has autonomously flown into contact position, boom operator engages
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
1
AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2010
Exploiting Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm
USAF Chief Scientist
Air Force Pentagon
Headquarters U.S. Air Force 21 April 2010
Their Role in Future Military Operations
and the Emergent Technologies that
will Shape Their Development
2
Current Unmanned Aircraft Systems of the U.S. Air Force and DoD
U.S. Army
MQ-1C WarriorRQ-7 Shadow
RQ-11 Raven
Wasp III BATMAV
U.S. Navy / Marines
RQ-2 Pioneer
RQ-11 Raven Scan Eagle
RQ-8 Fire Scout
U.S. Air ForceRQ-4 Global Hawk
MQ-1 PredatorMQ-9 Reaper
RQ-11 Raven
Wasp III BATMAV
RQ-170
Sentinel
3
Rapid Growth in UAS Use by USAF
USAF Need for RPA Pilots, Operators, and Ground Crews is Growing Quickly
2004 2009 2011
RQ-4 Global Hawk MQ-1 Predator MQ-9 Reaper
4
5
Emerging Roles and New Concepts forLarge and Medium Size UAVs
UAS moving beyond traditional
surveillance and kinetic strike roles
Longer-endurance missions require
high-efficiency engine technologies
In-flight automated refueling will be
key for expanding UAS capabilities
May include ISR functions beyond
traditional electro-optic surveillance
LO may allow ops in contested or
denied (non-permissive) areas
Electronic warfare (EW) by stand-in
jamming is a possible future role
Wide-area airborne surveillance
(WAAS) is increasingly important
Directed energy strike capability is
likely to grow (laser and HPM)
Civil uses include border patrol and
interdiction, and humanitarian relief
6
Ultra-Long Endurance Unmanned Aircraft
New unmanned aircraft systems (VULTURE)
and airships (ISIS) can remain aloft for years
Delicate lightweight structures can survive
low-altitude winds if launch can be chosen
Enabled by solar cells powering lightweight
batteries or regenerative fuel cell systems
Large airships containing football field size
radars give extreme resolution/persistence
7
New Multi-Spot EO/IR Sensors for UAVs
Multi-spot EO/IR cameras allow individually
steered low frame rate spots; augment FMV
Gorgon Stare now; ARGUS-IS will allow 65
spots using a 1.8 giga-pixel sensor at 15 Hz
Individually controllable spot coverage goes
directly to ROVER terminals on ground
Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous
Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS)
8
New LIDAR Systems Allow Large-Area Three-Dimensional Urban Mapping
Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) allows
3D sensing with light-wavelength resolution
Allows detailed mapping of complex urban
areas from unmanned airborne systems
Merge with EO/IR images to give enhanced
spatial cognition and situational awareness
Low-collateral-damage strikes in urban
areas via target-quality 3D pixel coordinates
UAS Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR)
Aerial refueling of UAVs from USAF tanker fleet is
essential for increasing range and endurance
Requires location sensing and relative navigation
to approach, hold, and move into fueling position
Precision GPS can be employed to obtain needed
positional information
Once UAV has autonomously flown into contact
position, boom operator engages as normal
Key issues include position-keeping with possible
GPS obscuration by tanker and gust/wake stability
9
10
Flight Testing of UAS AAR Algorithms
August 2006 initial flight tests of AFRL-developed
control algorithms for automated aerial refueling
KC-135 with Learjet-surrogate UAS platform gave
first “hands-off” approach to contact position
Subsequent positions and pathways flight test
and four-ship CONOPS simulations successful
120 mins continuous “hands-off” station keeping
in contact position; approach from ½-mile away
12 hrs of “hands-off” formation flight with tanker
including autonomous position-holding in turns
Position-holding matched human-piloted flight
11
Increased Autonomy in UAS Missions
Autonomous mission optimization under
dynamic circumstances is a key capability
Must address UAV platform degradation as
well as changes in operating environment
Operator only declares mission intent and
constraints; UAV finds best execution path
Vigilent Spirit is current implementation
12
Distributed/Cooperative Control of UAVs
Optimized scalable solution methods
for multiple heterogeneous UAVs
Allows multiple UAVs to act as single
coordinated unit to meet mission need
Scalability of methods is essential to
allow future application to larger sets
np-hard problem; exponential growth
13
Distributed/Cooperative Control of UAVs
Task coupling of multiple UAVs is key in
complex environments; e.g. urban areas
Must include variable autonomy to allow
flexible operator interaction with UAVs
Allow dynamic task re-assignment while
reducing overall operator workload
Demonstrated in Talisman Saber 2009
14
Growing DoD Need to Improve Process for Integrating UAS in National Airspace
15
Growing DoD Need to Improve Process for Integrating UAS in National Airspace
16
Integration of UAS Operations in National,
International, and Military Airspace
Authority:
Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
Separation:
Cooperative: TCAS / ADS-B
Non-Cooperative: Visual
Airfields:
Friendly and well known
International AirspaceNational Airspace Military Airspace