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Air Force Research Laboratory RPA Portfolio
Col Jeff TurcotteChief, Air and Weapons Division
Distribution A. Approved for Public Release.88 ABW/PA Case # 88ABW-2010-1685
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USAF S&T VisionUSAF Mission
The mission of the United States Air Forceis to fly, fight and win…
in Air, Space and Cyberspace.
TARGET
TRACK
FIX
ENGAGE
FIND
ASSESS
Air Space
Cyber
ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
ANTICIPATE
Guides USAF S&T goals
Links S&T to Warfighter
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Major AFRL Facilities
WRIGHT-PATTERSON PROPULSION (RZ)AIR VEHICLES (RB)SENSORS (RY)MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING (RX)COLLABORATIVE C2 (RI)711th HUMAN PERFORMANCE WING (HPW)
– HUMAN EFFECTIVENESS (RH)
KIRTLANDDIRECTED ENERGY (RD)SPACE VEHICLES (RV)
BALLSTONAIR FORCE OFFICE OFSCIENTIFIC RESEARCH (AFOSR)
ROMEINFORMATION (RI)SURVEILLANCE (RY)
EGLINMUNITIONS (RW)
MESAWARFIGHTER TRAINING RESEARCH (RH)
EDWARDSROCKET PROPULSION (RZ)
TYNDALLAIR BASE TECHNOLOGY (RX)
BROOKS711th HPW- BIOEFFECTS (RH)- AEROSPACE PHYSIOLOGY (RH)- USAFSAM
HANSCOMBATTLE SPACE ENVIRONMENTS (RV)ELECTROMAGNETICS (RY)
AFRLHQ
41 Sites World-Wide 6
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AFRL Response to UAS Initiatives
• High Interest Areas– BRAC-related spending
– Technologies that support Nuclear Surety
– Cyber (especially defensive)
– UAVs – including micro UAVs, swarming technologies, ground controllers
– Space Situational Awareness
The RPA IPT goal is to align AFRL S&T efforts with Air Force requirements as defined by OSD and AF UAS TF road maps and:
– Assisted the AF UAS TF in the drafting of the UAS Flight Plan and all subsequent activities
– Support and assist industry and academia in aligning with AFRL RPA initiatives
– Participate in OSD UAS Task Force team--support joint UAS development
AFRL RPA Integrated Product Team
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AFRL RPA Research Areas
Concept Vehicles– Aerodynamics– Airspace Management– Next Generation UAS– Micro/Nano Technology
Cyber Elements– Controls, Navigation– Communications– Electronic Warfare
Power and Propulsion– Efficient Small Scale
Propulsion– Internal Power Management– Thermal Management– Batteries/Fuel Cells
Systems of Systems– Mission Control Interfaces– Multi Aircraft Control– ISR and Tracking– Teaming
Heterogeneous Airborne Reconnaissance Team
Advanced MissionControl Interface
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Next Generation UAS
Balanced Persistence and Responsiveness
Advanced Mission Management Interface
Affordable, Reliable & Supportable System
Cooperative Teaming and Engagement
Modular Sensor Payloads
Fleet Compatible Operations
Flexible and Upgradeable Architecture
Precise and Scalable Weapon Effects
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Architecture Flexibility EqualsMulti-Mission Capability
WeatherAvoidance & Penetration
All-Weather, All-Terrain Sensing
Dismounts
Foliage
AAA and MANPADSVehicles
Eyes
Below
The Clouds
Sense and Avoid
Scalable Effects
SAA Modular, Open Architecture
Sensors, Fusion, Tracking
RADAR
Camera / IR
Datalink
Deconfliction
Collision Avoidance
ATC
Well Clear
Right of Way
Maneuver Limits
Mode Selection
Notify
Execute Maneuver
Deconfliction and Collision Avoidance together, provide a robust, functional
equivalent to a pilot’s “See and Avoid”
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Near-term solutions
Vehicle Progression: Mini-micro-nanoAi
rpla
ne d
esig
n op
timiz
atio
nB
asic
phy
sics
Small or mini- Traditional configuration- sensor/airframe integration
“Nano” UAV- Configuration undefined/unclear!- Basic research develop concepts
Generalized Micro UAV- Refined configuration- infuse aerospace system design
Flexible Mini, Micro, and Nano Aircraft
Non-fixed-wing Micro UAV- Revolutionary configuration- Infuse with fundamental aero/structures/controls
Long-term goals
Mini-CDL
Problem: Lack of High Speed Data link for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems to meet DOD CDL policy.
Solution: Develop a small light weight low power CDL
Technical Approach:
• Multiple board technology frequency isolation
• New FPGA Technology
• New Digital Signal Processor
• New small NSA Type 1 Encryption Chip
Results:
• 18 to 1.5 pounds
• 100 to 50 watts
Quint Networking Technologies
Phase 1 StudyPhase 2 PrototypeIntegration and TestCovert Net DevJSF RPI Data Link terminalOSD ISRnet develop
Technology Investment Schedule (FY) As of 19 Jul 0704 05 06 07 08 09 -12
Technology
Benefits to the War FighterDescription• Tactical Air, Weapon & Ground Controller networked
operations in the forward domain
• Provide Forward Edge controllers on demand access to sensors, and control of network enabled weapons in order to improve prosecution of time critical targets and reduce fratricide risk.
•Exploit network centric technologies to close the combat seams for multi-service operations• Enhance network collaborative targeting in a dynamic Joint environment• Provide detailed situational awareness in very mobile combat through weapon tracking and by building BDA through network event capture• Provide over the hill imagery/video networking for dismounted ground forces for UCAV and small UAV’s• Provide a dynamic ground taxi capability for UCAV
• Backbone mesh network
• On-demand connections for streaming of sensor data
• Small form factor dual-band software radios
• Miniaturized Package – 35 in3 & 20 in3 radios
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QNTTargeted users – Aircraft, UCAVs, small UAVs, weapons, dismounted
soldiers
• Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) –for long endurance flight with dash capability
• Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine (HEETE) –for long endurance flight at high altitude
• Efficient Small Scale Propulsion (ESSP) –small turbine and internal combustionpropulsion S&T for tailored small UAS
• Small Engine Research Facility (SERL) –new in-house facility to support ESSP and current fleet propulsion issues; Example -conversion of Rotax 914 (Predator) to JP8 for huge savings versus Avgas
For Large UAS… For Medium UAS…
• Hybrid Electric Propulsion -unique electrically-driven systems; Example – PUMA 9 hour flight demonstrated versus 2.5 hours operationalcapability
For SUAS… For Hypersonic UAS…
• X-51 Scramjet Engine Demonstrator – First flight MAR10; paves way for revolutionary strike speed
For Medium/Small UAS…
Propulsion
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Autonomy – Multi-Aircraft ControlPotential Manpower Savings
• 50 CAPs
– 50 MQ-9 CAPs
– + 7 a/c in constant transit
• 10 pilots per CAP
– 500 pilots required
– + 70 pilots to transit a/c
570 Total Pilots
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• 50 CAPs
– 50 MQ-9 CAPs on orbit
• 25 CAPs automated
• 25 CAPs in MAC (5 pilots/CAP)
– 125 pilots required
– + 25 auto-msn monitor pilots
– + 0 to transit aircraft
150 Total Pilots
2011(Current system)
TBD(MAC + 50% auto)
64% Manpower Savings
2012 (MAC)
50 CAPs 50 MQ-9 CAPs 2 CAPs per MAC GCS 1 transit per MAC GCS
5 pilots per CAP 250 Pilots required + 0 to transit aircraft
250 Total Pilots
56% Manpower Savings
Transit
Surge Capacity
Surge Capacity
Surge Capacity
TransitSurge CapacityAuto
MAC = 1 pilot can fly up to 4 a/c
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Multi Aircraft Control and Autonomy
Human-automation interaction(methods, visibility, attention, allocation)
Multi-modal & 3D interfaces for supervisory control
Multi-UAV management(glyphs, task switching, timeline)
Sensor inspection aids Multi-platform control stationhardware/software framework
Interfaces tailored for future capabilities & missions
Integrated crew stations: increased span of control
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Heterogeneous Airborne Reconnaissance Team (HART) Description
• Customer: Army, Air Force• Budget Activity: 6.3 • IOC 2010• TRL level 6• Key benefit: Provided automatic, real
time planning and control of UAVs for Warfighters at the tip of the spear.
Impact• Allow direct access to a system of systems -
multiple tiers, platforms & sensors • Decouple consumers from flight control, so
they can focus on the fight• Disseminate video to unit leaders via
handhelds and to TOCs via wide screens• Planning and control system achieves high
platform and sensor utilization rates
Accomplishments• Numerous flight tests with multiple
deployed UASs at DoD test ranges• Demonstrated cooperative control and
video dissemination of 50 UASs to commanders through dismounts
• Rapid integration of new unmanned and manned aviation systems
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1700 ft
1700
ft
UAV Trajectories over Urban Terrain
One
to M
any
• Research on UAV Cooperative Control
Control ScienceCenter of Excellence
Task Tree:
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Technical Challenges in Cooperative Task Assignment and Scheduling
Our Cooperative Control research is focused on these challenges
Coupling●Precedence constraints●Joint tasks●On-line computation
Uncertainty●Target locations●Threat environment●Enemy actions●Engagement outcomes
Communication Constraints●Asynchronous COMM●Limited throughput●Delays and outages
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Future R&D in Teaming-Heterogeneous Layered SoS Control
• Heterogeneous Systems of Systems
– Large-scale multi-level heterogeneous planning problems
– Layered Hierarchical structure
– Information: aggregation and dissemination
– Task Assignment & Scheduling: decomposition, team formation
– Scalability of Solution Methodologies
– Intelligence/Learning
– Multi-Objective planning and de-confliction
• Operator Interaction at every level of the hierarchy
One
to M
any
Teams
Swarms
For Official Use Only
22DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT D. Distribution authorized to DoD and their DOD contractors only; critical technology, Aug 2008. Other requests shall be referred to AFRL/XPO, 1864 4th Street, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433-7132
Version 1.0: 20090615
Layered Sensing Vision
Mountains & Caves
Reaper
GlobalHawk
AAASites
UrbanFoliage
MicroUAV
UGS
J-STARSAWACS
RJStrike
Small UAV
Regional, Persistent,High Altitude Surveillance
Global Access“Episodic” - Synoptic
“Cordoning” SurveillanceContinuous “Forensics”
COM & PNT
SensorCraft
SBR
HSI SBIRS
Near SPACE
SIGINT IMINT
Wpn-Mun
Hunter / Killer Wolf Pack
Layered Sensing & Effects DeliveryCross-Domain, Multi-Directorate, Integrated Effects• Seamless Air, Space, and Cyberspace Enterprise
• USAF’s S&T Response to the Global “Daunting Challenge” of Counter-Terrorism:Foundational to AF2T2EA4• Exploits/Extends USAF Core Competenciesof Global Reach and Persistence• Staring & Cross-Phenomenology Integration yielding “total SA”• Continuous Sensing through effects delivery
U-2