MQ-25A Manned/Unmanned Teaming

NPS NRP Executive SummaryManned aircraft coordinate with tankers locally through voice, hand signals and lighting. MQ-25A coordination is through a remote operator, typically through beyond line of sight communications. Degradation or loss of that communications link would inhibit refueling capability. Human machine teaming may be a key enabler for increased reliability and resilience in the unmanned tanking mission. Further, advanced human machine teaming capability may enable force multiplier missions, increasing war fighting capabilities of the carrier air wing. Co-Active Design and interdependence analysis are two proven methods for identifying human machine teaming requirements that enable resilience, reliability, and identify potential pitfalls. This year's research effort focuses on enhancing mission capabilities by exploring two key areas: enhanced ISR capabilities, and operations in non-permissive communications and position, navigation, and timing environments.ASN(RDA) - Research, Development, and AcquisitionThis research is supported by funding from the Naval Postgraduate School, Naval Research Program (PE 0605853N/2098). https://nps.edu/nrpChief of Naval Operations (CNO)Approved for public release. Distribution is unlimited.

Extracting Range Data From Images Using Focus Error

Air-to-air refueling (AAR) has become a staple when performing long missions with aircraft. With modern technology, however, people have begun to research how to perform this task autonomously. Automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) is this exact concept. Combining many different systems, the idea is to allow computers on the aircraft to link up via the refueling boom, refuel, and detach before resuming pilot control. This document lays out one of the systems that is needed to perform A3R, namely, the system that extracts range data. While stereo cameras perform such tasks, there is interest in finding other ways of accomplishing the same mission. This research uses focus error to extract the same range from an image that can be obtained from a stereo camera system. This document will discuss how far A3R has come as well as the benefits of a focus error method. A simulation of how this process can function will also be shown, and will include a processing algorithm for extracting range information. A laboratory experiment section is introduced, which describes how this research can be pursued in the future

A Case for an Aerial Refueling Capability for the United States Marine Corps UH-1Y Helicopter

The goal of this thesis is to generate interest discussion, examination and ultimately installation of in-flight refueling capability on the UH-1Y, to enhance the utility of the UH-1Y in support of Marine Corps strategic and operational concepts. Material presented herein was acquired from numerous reference documents and publications to include aircraft flight manuals; tactics, techniques and procedures manuals; program office documents; contractor literature; and the author’s experiences as a Fleet Marine Force UH-1N pilot. Air-to-Air Refueling (AAR) systems are presented using currently fielded equipment in both tested and untested configurations, incorporating empirical data, tactics and past experiences. The resultant conclusions to the data, as presented, clearly indicate the need and highlight the intrinsic value of AAR at the strategic and operational level in order to maximize capability and efficiently support the strategic and operational requirements of the Marine Corps. Additionally there is an obvious tactical level utility of the system for an air-to-air refueling mission kit for the UH-1Y. In November 2000, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, General James L. Jones, outlined his vision for how the Corps should be organized, equipped, and prepared to fight and win conflicts in USMC 21. In October 2001, then Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Vernon Clark, outlined his vision for how the USN and USMC should work together to organize, integrate, equip, and transform their forces to meet the emerging threats of the future in Sea Power 21. This thesis will examine the larger scope and scale of how this AAR capability can better support this Marine Air Ground Task Force within the operational, tactical and strategic visions of USMC 21 and Sea Power 21 requirements. USMC rotary wing assets still have a few aircraft that are not AAR capable. As long as the Marine Corps have even one aircraft that can’t air-to-air refuel, it is limited by a most restricted capability and must continue to rely on land and sea based facilities

An adaptive neuro-fuzzy controller for vibration suppression of a flexible structure in aerial refueling

Air-to-air refueling (AAR) has been commonly used in military jet applications. Recently, civilian applications of AAR have been garnering increased attention due to the high cost of air travel, which is largely dictated by the cost of jet fuel. There are two types of AAR approaches: probe-drogue and flying boom systems. This work explores the probe-drogue AAR system in commercial applications. Typical AAR applications deploy a drogue connected to a long flexible hose behind a moving aircraft tanker. The drogue is connected to a probe in a receiver aircraft before initiating fuel transfer and is retracted back into the tanker when the fuel transfer is completed. In order to ensure a safe and efficient refueling operation sophisticated systems need to be developed to accommodate the turbulences encountered, particularly in respect to vibration reduction of the flexible hose and drogue. The objective of this work is to develop a probe-drogue system for helicopter AAR applications. The first project is to make a preliminary design of a new AAR system for helicopter refuelling from a modified AT-802 tanker aircraft. [...

Автоматизація технології дозаправлення у повітрі регіональних літаків

Here are considered benefits of airlift using a phase in-flight refueling civil aircraft. Suchtechnologies provide in particular for regional aircraft of Ukrainian production their main advantages atlong flights. The variants of automation of this phase of the flight are proposedРассмотрены преимущества воздушных перевозок с использованием в полете этапа дозаправки гражданских самолетов. Такие технологии обеспечивают, в частности, для региональных самолетов украинского производства значительные преимущества при их эксплуатации на дальних магистральных рейсах. Предложены варианты автоматизации этого этапа полетаРозглянуто переваги повітряних перевезень з використанням у польоті етапу дозаправлення цивільних літаків. Такі технології забезпечують, зокрема, для регіональних літаків українського виробництва значні переваги підчас їх експлуатації на дальніх магістральних рейсах. Запропоновано варіанти автоматизації цього етапупольот

Approach of a Tanker Aircraft to the Remote-Controlled Drogue of the Air-to-Air Refueling System

Here are considered benefits of airlift using an air-to-air refueling civil aircraft. Such technologies provide in particular for regional aircraft their main advantages at long flights. There are proposed variants of automation of approach of refueling devices using a predictive model

Innovative Method for the Estimation of Closure Velocity between RAT Driven Drogue and IFR Probe Air to Air refueling Flight Trials

Air-to-air refueling for a fighter platform is a force multiplier in terms of increasing its combat radius and payload carrying ability. Adapting for such a facility especially for an aircraft under design and development is a challenging task. It requires rigorous ground and flight testing to meet the certification standards. One of important flight test parameter that needs to be validated for structural impact load calculations and certification needs is the closure velocity. The air-to-air refueller was equipped with a Ram-air-turbine powered drogue and chute system. An innovative methodology of estimating the closure velocity between the drogue of the mother aircraft and the in-flight refueling probe of the receiving aircraft was evolved. The method was employed and validated during the air-to-air refueling trials of a prototype fighter platform. The intention of this paper is to explain the methodology employed and deliberate the results obtained with respect to the air-to-air refueling certification

Approach of a Tanker Aircraft to the Remote-Controlled Drogue of the Air-to-Air Refueling System

Here are considered benefits of airlift using an air-to-air refueling civil aircraft. Such technologies provide in particular for regional aircraft their main advantages at long flights. There are proposed variants of automation of approach of refueling devices using a predictive model

Optimizing an F-16 Squadron Weekly Pilot Schedule for the Turkish Air Force

Fighter squadrons in the Turkish Air Force build flight schedules for weekly periods. This process requires a great deal of time and does not seek optimality. Schedules are built with feasibility concerns. The Turkish Air Force doesn’t have an automated tool for flight scheduling. Many constraints including crew rest, number of sorties flown in a month, and duty currencies affect the schedule. Providing an automated scheduling tool may help schedulers save time for other squadron tasks including mission preparation, briefing, and debriefing. In this research, a heuristic approach to the problem is developed. Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedures (GRASP) is applied to the weekly pilot scheduling problem. Manual scheduler inputs are allowed. A code for GRASP implementation is written in MATLAB. Two different approaches are used in the analysis. First, the code is run for four weekly schedules taken from an F-16 squadron of the Turkish Air Force and second, a weekly flight schedule is created randomly. In the second approach, the created flight schedule is used for three different scenarios which represent possible real life situations. For all scenarios and real schedules, GRASP performed well and smaller standard deviations in sortie numbers are obtained while keeping all pilots within the currency limit of each mission