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Control compatibility & data drowning A number ofchallenges exist in a rapidly growing UAV secure command, control, andcommunications area, admits Val Zarov, director of program management atCurtiss-Wright Controls Defense Solutions in Ashburn, Va. 'Most prominentand widely debated issues are associated with control compatibility with otherUAS ground stations, ability for UAV to directly communicate with variousground and air support in the area (regardless to which UAS architecture theybelong), secure down-link bandwidth limitation as more UAVs are streaming dataat the same time and at a higher throughput, and timely availability ofrelevant, post-processed data. 'From atechnology trend perspective, there is a significant movement toward a DataGuard/Cross Domain technology and utilization of open architecture hardware andsoftware (OS, BSP, drivers, applications),' Zarov describes.'Advances in these areas will enable more generic/open-source groundcommand-and-control stations while protecting highly sensitive/classified datafrom unauthorized access.' One of the majorchallenges in the software application area that's deployed in the groundsegment is the critical and proprietary element that requires third-partylicensing, Zarov says. 'That, in itself, is a challenge especially whenUAS can be deployed and established in any geographical location and in manycases undisclosed. It creates an issue with proper licensing, support, and availability.Use of open-source software solves this issue, but not unless streaminghardware/data is originated/packaged in a UAV by a special application that isreadily compatible with its open-source receiving application counterpart. Butthat's not the end of a challenge: UAV hardware must be smart enough tosegregate relevant and authorized sections of the data before it gets sent toan open-source ground segment in order to protect classified sections ofgathered data.' All leadingindicators of the technology trends are pointing toward a highly networked UASinfrastructure that will enable any UAV (small, medium, or large) to exist onthe network, stream relevant data (not raw data), and be able to accommodatemultiple securing enclaves for control and data transfer, Zarov affirms.'On the ground segment front, the trends indicate specialization forcontrol and gathering of highly sensitive data along with the ability tosupport wider variety of UAVs and more at the same time. Other and current usesfor the ground segment, such as data processing, imagery extraction of thenon-sensitive data, and basic control, most likely will be scaled down to anApple iPhone or Google Android app and available as an authorized accesssubscription to enabled end users. Most of the intelligence in image/datapost-processing and relevant feature extraction will be preprogrammed by theuser and only relevant end results will be streamed down for bandwidthconservation and timely reaction by the user. 'It is a hugetopic that has branches into various areas that deal with commonality withvarious platforms, multi-user authorization with different access levelsdepending on the agency, and wider expansion of the visible grid created by asystem of UAVs and perhaps tying in other visual infrastructures (such astraffic/city cameras) to create a very efficient and sophisticatedcommunication infrastructure that will enhance overall surveillance experiencewithout raw data drowning,' Zarov says. 'Data drowning is a seriousissue; there is more and more data to process and not enough trained personal.Raw data loads our existing communication infrastructure and becomes perishableif timely processing isn't done. It results in higher costs to build, expand,and maintain heavy bandwidth demand links and support hardware, along withtremendous storage to keep the data.' Advanced ground control Various aerospaceand defense industry firms are focusing on human- machine interface (HMI)solutions for UAV applications. The end goals of these innovative HMIs areoften streamlined operator training and reduced pilot workload. Computer tabletsand other handheld systems are quickly becoming the HMIs of preference forunmanned vehicle command and control. UAV applications are moving away from laptopcomputers and joysticks in favor of tablet computers, 'mostly because ofportability and there's no keyboard to break, no parts to get damaged,'says Jim Plas, vice president of marketing at Xplore Technologies in Austin,Texas. An Xplore C5 rugged tablet accompanies every Aeryon Scout UAV fromAeryon Labs Inc. in Waterloo, Canada, for use as a more modern control pad thanthe traditional joystick.
Precision handling 'Over thelast year, we have seen next-generation experimental aircraft, like the NorthropGrumman X-47B and the Dassault nEUROn unmanned combat air system (UCAS)platforms, make huge advances in unmanned operations,' Downing says. TheX-47B and nEUROn unmanned systems employ Wind River's VxWorks real-timeoperating system (RTOS). Wind River's RTOS platforms 'with COTScertification evidence have enabled a new systems methodology for airbornesystems. We see that success story duplicated and expanded in the unmannedspace, where new programs are coming on line at a far faster rate than inmanned systems.' The X-47B ControlDisplay Unit (CDU) is a new handheld gadget, developed by Northrop Grumman andU.S. Navy engineers, enabling deck operators to maneuver the unmanned aircraftwirelessly, using a handheld remote control, around the crowded deck of anaircraft carrier. Northrop Grumman is the Navy's prime contractor for the UCASCarrier Demonstration (UCAS-D) program. The UCAS-D industry team includes GKNAerospace, Lockheed Martin, Pratt & Whitney, Eaton, General Electric, UTCAerospace Systems, Dell, Honeywell, Moog, Wind River, Parker Aerospace, andRockwell Collins. The teamdemonstrated the CDU's ability to control the X-47B's engine thrust; to rollthe aircraft forward, brake, and stop; to use its nose wheel steering toexecute tight, precision turns; and to maneuver the aircraft efficiently into acatapult or out of the landing area following a mock carrier landing. 'The CDU isfundamental to integrating the X-47B seamlessly into carrier deckoperations,' says Daryl Martis, Northrop Grumman's UCAS-D test director.'It will allow us to move the aircraft quickly and precisely into thecatapult for launch, or out of the landing area following recovery. Both ofthese activities are essential to maintaining the rhythm of the flight deck.' In practice, adeck operator works in tandem with the flight deck director to move the X-47Bvia the CDU to a designated flight deck location. Standing in front of theaircraft, the director uses traditional hand signals to indicate how, when, andwhere the aircraft should move, the same way he would communicate with a pilotin a manned aircraft. The deck operator stands behind the director and uses theCDU to duplicate the director's instructions as digital commands to theaircraft. 'Instead oftowing the aircraft out to the flight line, we can now start the X-47B outsideits hangar, and use the CDU to taxi it out to the runway or into a catapult forlaunch,' Martis adds. 'Use of the CDU is the most time-efficient wayto move the X-47B into the catapult or disengage it from the arresting gearafter landing.' The X-47B deckhandling trials aboard the aircraft carrier USS Harry S Truman used TacticalTargeting Network Technology (TTNT) from Rockwell Collins. A complement toexisting tactical data link networks, TTNT provides high-data-rate, long-rangecommunication links for airborne platforms; enables rapid, low-latency messagedelivery; and requires minimal network planning requirements, permittingparticipants to enter and exit the network without extensive preplanning. 'TTNT is partof the overall command and control architecture for the X-47B, and it plays anessential role in helping the aircraft perform vital functions,' explainsBob Haag, vice president and general manager of communication and navigation productsfor Rockwell Collins. TTNT has been used in demonstrations of various aircraftplatforms, including the F-16, F-22, F-15, F/A-18, B-2, B-52, Airborne Warningand Control System, Battlefield Airborne Communications Node, and E-2C Hawkeye. COTS communications Communication iskey in UAV applications. Modern solutions enable constant communicationsbetween the UAV and ground control station, as well as provide a datalink fortransmitting UAV-captured information, including image and video files. UAVs arealso starting to deliver critical communications at the edge of thebattlefield, helping deploy Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks in even remotelocations. 'In today'sbattlespace, commercial communications technology is now crucial to militarysuccess. Combat soldiers need to understand surrounding situations and reactquickly to have an advantage over the enemy,' describes Jeff Sharpe,senior product line manager, Radisys Corp. in Hillsboro, Ore. 'Today'smilitary must leverage the success of the latest in commercial communicationstechnologies to deliver the hardware and software for a complete LTE network. 'LTE delivershigher speeds and lower latency than competing technologies, including therecently terminated Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS),' Sharpe continues.'LTE's combination of superior mobile bandwidth and low latency enablesthe delivery of real-time, two-way mobile video communications. This fatter LTEpipe also means that UAVs are able to collect immense volumes of data, with LTEdelivering the necessary throughput between ground control and the UAV.' Radisys engineers,working with an unnamed aerospace and defense systems integrator, developed auniversal ground control system for UAVs built on The Radisys ATCA technology.'Until recently, every type of unmanned aircraft had a specialized groundcontrol station, as well as a unique version for each military branch,resulting in a proliferation of single-purpose equipment,' Sharpe says.'The integrator decided to develop a UGCS to satisfy U.S. joint servicesrequirements, including simultaneous mission control of multiple unmannedaircraft. To meet these requirements, they needed to deploy COTS hardware forgreater scalability, higher availability, and voltage supplycompatibility.' The integratorchose to leverage Radisys standards-based ATCA solutions for its UGCSarchitecture, replicating the capabilities of its rackmount server with asingle ATCA blade-the Radisys ATCA-4300 compute processing module, Sharpeexplains. Radisys engineers performed platform integration and thermal testing,and the integrator was able to minimize up-front engineering costs by startingwith a validated ATCA platform populated with available COTS components. 'In addition,the all-IP LTE network is standards-based, allowing the military to takeadvantage of a large ecosystem of vendors,' Sharpe says. 'Theindustry can leverage industry-standard form factors such as ATCA and COMExpress to deploy LTE, and can take advantage of the strong ecosystem of vendors-resultingin greater parts availability, competitive pricing, and interoperability. Thesereadily available COTS solutions help speed time to market, are easier tomaintain, and offer extended system longevity. 'Systemsdesigners and integrators should look to leverage standards-based technologyfor UAVs,' Sharpe advises. 'The aerospace and defense industry isincreasingly turning to COTS technologies over proprietary, one-off,government-unique systems that are expensive to build and difficult to maintain.COTS communications technologies, particularly the LTE standards-basedarchitecture, are mature, proven to be reliable and robust, easily deployed,and scalable. The future for UAV command, control, and communications isbattlespace-ready LTE.' |
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