Review of ONR's Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicles Program (2000) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
2 Assessment of the ONR 351 UAV/UCAV Program
2 Assessment of the ONR 351 UAV/UCAV Program
Pages 11-26
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 11... ...
An outstanding team of contractors with recognized experience in UAV-relevant disciplines was assembled, with NRL contributing additional sensor and dynamic networking expertise. The process began with ONR and the team envisioning the role of UAVs in the battlespace as ".
|
From page 12... ...
From the design alternatives, the critical technologies needed to implement the vision as missions were identified and grouped into four technical areas: Vehicle technology, 2. Secure communications and dynamic networking, 3.
|
From page 13... ...
These vehicles will cooperate and interact to provide a network in the sky to enable a real-time tactical picture and local positioning system for precision target localization and strike and will perhaps even carry out the strikes in some circumstances.3 For autonomy, the long-term vision foresees human guidance as coming only from the highest command level, with intelligent agents taking care of all details such as takeoff, flying, and landing of the UAV/UCAV, reacting to unexpected events, deciding when a mission is complete, returning to base, and so on without a continuous significant human-in-the-loop component. To identify technologies crucial to realizing its UAV/UCAV vision, ONR convoked an S&T roadmap development team made up principally of contractors to flesh out the initial vision.
|
From page 14... ...
The ONR vision pictured swarms of cooperating and totally autonomous UAVs that distribute and share information and assignments and that self-adjust for operational changes, losses, sensor blinding, electronic jamming, and software crashes, all the while still accomplishing their assigned mission without human intervention or active involvement. None of this is remotely possible today.
|
From page 15... ...
To be successful it must be linked in a meaningful way to UAV activities elsewhere in the Department of the Navy, particularly to the impending DARPA/Navy UCAV-N ATDs and the FNCs, which are going to get the lion's share of the money. The committee noted that ONR's beginning vision of a UAV/UCAV system and the requirements-generating scenarios appear to have been developed without consultating uniformed planners in the Navy and Marine Corps or other members of the operational community.
|
From page 16... ...
CRITICAL TECHNOLOGIES Of the many technologies needed to realize the UAVs/UCAVs of the future, ONR 351 selected four as being particularly relevant and critical: Vehicle technology, 2. Secure communications and dynamic networking, 3.
|
From page 17... ...
Assuming these design features, critical airframe technologies were then identified and investments were recommended in advanced concepts for reduced weight, specific fuel consumption, and some VTOL propulsion issues. These seemed reasonable as far as they went, but there was no mention of any technologies directly related to violent maneuvering, e.g., unsteady aerodynamics.
|
From page 18... ...
Secure Communications and Dynamic Networking Advanced UAVs/UCAVs will need to act in concert to achieve mission goals; doing so will require a highly adaptive approach to communications. The networking environment in which a UAV/UCAV ensemble functions will be very dynamic.
|
From page 19... ...
The requirement for very small size offers significant challenges to the physical configuration and performance capabilities of individual sensors, while that for very high dynamics and/or stealth puts restrictions on external sensor apertures, which may call for conformal microwave and optical phased array technology capabilities not yet developed or envisioned. Although the physical aspects of sensor technology can probably be expected to develop fast enough to meet the identified UAV/UCAV needs without special attention from the UAV community, the additional requirements for automatic information extraction and sensor fusion may not.
|
From page 20... ...
Finally, the candidate technologies deemed necessary to meet the derived autonomy requirements were identified and divided into two broad categories, each encompassing a wide range of somewhat eclectic topics: · Situation awareness Three-dimensional mapping, Sensor and data fusion, Natural language processing, Adaptation and learning, Image understanding, and Human-machine cooperation. 5Allen Moshfegh, Office of Naval Research, ``sasic Research Programs on Intelligent Autonomous Agents,,, briefing presented to the committee, December 13, 1999.
|
From page 21... ...
It identified seven critical technologies for immediate attention. For situation awareness there were four: sensor and data fusion, adaptation and learning, image understanding, and human-machine cooperation.
|
From page 22... ...
However, the pursuit of these levels of autonomy is important to the nation, so it would be appropriate for the Navy to pursue them and of benefit to all of the Services. The autonomous operations FNC is an important thrust within the Navy Department for both cost and operational capability reasons.
|
From page 23... ...
Natural language processing 6.116.216.3 Commercial systems are functioning today yet basic issues remain unresolved. The grounds for this capability are very weakly based on existing air traffic control system limitations.
|
From page 24... ...
None of the business-oriented commercial software frameworks will be applicable to the autonomous operations FNC without incentive. A strong 6.3 demonstration program that funds interface development and shows existing frameworks in Navy UAV/UCAV mission contexts could showcase these emerging software packages.
|
From page 25... ...
PROPOSED UAV/UCAV DEMONSTRATIONS Participants in an ONR-sponsored workshop developed a sequence of eight candidates for applied research and technology UAV/UCAV demonstrations: · Mission planning and execution Autonomous, real-time mission/path replanning, obstacle avoidance, and resource allocation; Autonomous and cooperative target cueing and ATR; Takeoff and landing on an air-capable ship in high seas using passive sensors for navigation; and Autonomous in-flight refueling. · Robust and reconfigurable dynamic network of networks Dynamic Internet-in-the-skies (connectivity and real-time sharing of information)
|
From page 26... ...
ONR should focus on secure communications and dynamic networking directly, as it is doing, while continuing to exploit commercial development whenever possible. · Sensors and sensor systems hardware will evolve without special attention from an ONR S&T program.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.