MH-60 Seahawk / MQ-8 Fire Scout interoperability

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimitedAs part of a Naval Postgraduate School's capstone project in Systems Engineering, a project team from Cohort 311-0911 performed a Systems Engineering analysis. This Project focused on defining alternatives for enhanced Anti-Surface Warfare (ASUW) mission effectiveness through increased interoperability and integration for the Fire Scout Unmanned Air Vehicle and Seahawk helicopter. Specifically, the Project explored the available trade space for enhancing communications back to the ship for analysis and decision-making. Modeling and Simulation (MandS) was used to assess the impact of enhanced communication on specific Key performance Parameters (KPPs) and Measures of Effectiveness (MOEs) associated with the ASUW mission. Once the trade space was defined, alternatives were analyzed and a recommendation provided that supports near-, mid-, and long-term mission enhancement

Systems approach to model the conceptual design process of vertical take-off unmanned aerial vehicle

The development and induction in-service of Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAV) systems in a variety of civil, paramilitary and military roles have proven valuable on high-risk missions. These UAVs based on fixed wing configuration concept have demonstrated their operational effectiveness in recent operations. New UAVs based on rotary wing configuration concept have received major attention worldwide, with major resources committed for its research and development. In this thesis, the design process of a rotary-wing aircraft was re-visualised from an unmanned perspective to address the requirements of rotary-wing UAVs – Vertical Take-off UAVs (VTUAV). It investigates the conventional helicopter design methodology for application in UAV design. It further develops a modified design process for VTUAV addressing the requirements of unmanned missions by providing remote command-and-control capabilities. The modified design methodology is automated to address the complex design evaluations and optimisation process. An illustration of the automated design process developed for VTUAVs is provided through a series of inputs of the requirements and specifications, resulting in an output of a proposed VTUAV design configuration for “design decision support”. The VTUAV automated design process has been developed to pioneer an aerospace design tool for further detailed development and application as a – Design Decision Support System

Design of a DDP controller for autonomous autorotative landing of RW UAV following engine failure

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, April 2016A Rotary Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (RW UAV) as a platform and its payload consisting of sophisticated sensors would be costly items. Hence, a RW UAV in the 500 kg class designed to fulfil a number of missions would represent a considerable capital outlay for any customer. Therefore, in the event of an engine failure, a means should be provided to get the craft safely back on the ground without incurring damage or causing danger to the surrounding area. The aim of the study was to design a controller for autorotative landing of a RW UAV in the event of engine failure. In order to design a controller for autorotative landing, an acceleration model was used obtained from a study by Stanford University. FLTSIM helicopter flight simulation package yielded necessary RW UAV response data for the autorotation regimes. The response data was utilized in identifying the unknown parameters in the acceleration model. A Differential Dynamic Programming (DDP) control algorithm was designed to compute the main and tail rotor collective pitch and the longitudinal and lateral cyclic pitch control inputs to safely land the craft. The results obtained were compared to the FLTSIM flight simulation response data. It was noted that the mathematical model could not accurately model the pitch dynamics. The main rotor dynamics were modelled satisfactorily and which are important in autorotation because without power from the engine, the energy in main rotor is critical in a successful execution of an autorotative landing. Stanford University designed a controller for RC helicopter, XCell Tempest, which was deemed successful. However, the DDP controller was designed for autonomous autorotative landing of RW UAV weighing 560 kg, following engine failure. The DDP controller has the ability to control the RW UAV in an autorotation landing but the study should be taken further to improve certain aspects such as the pitch dynamics and which can possibly be achieved through online parameter estimation.MT 201

Defense Acquisitions: Opportunities Exist to Achieve Greater Commonality and Efficiencies among Unmanned Aircraft Systems

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "From 2008 through 2013, the Department of Defense (DOD) plans to invest over $16 billion to develop and procure additional unmanned aircraft systems. To more effectively leverage its acquisition resources, DOD recognizes that it must achieve greater commonality among the military services' unmanned aircraft programs. Doing so, however, requires certain trade-offs and complex budget, cost, and schedule interactions. GAO was asked to assess the progress of selected unmanned aircraft acquisition programs, examine the extent to which the services are collaborating and identifying commonality among those programs, and identify key factors impacting the effectiveness their collaboration. GAO analyzed cost, schedule, and performance data for eight unmanned aircraft systems--accounting for over 80 percent of DOD's total planned investment in unmanned aircraft systems from 2008 through 2013--and two payload programs.

A systems approach to Vertical Take-off Unmanned Aerial Vehicle design for interoperability

The capabilities of ‘Unmanned Systems’ (USs) are presently at various stages of technological development and in-service trials. The induction of USs in future ‘Network-Centric Warfare’ (NCW) requires interoperability, the ability of multiple systems to exchange information, to be addressed for enhanced mission effectiveness. To provide effective in-service induction with low life-cycle costs of operation and support, interoperability is to be addressed in the conceptual design process. The focus of this research is on the conceptual design of ‘Vertical Take-off Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ (VTUAVs). The traditional helicopter design methodology was re-visited to encompass interoperability design requirements in the conceptual phase. The research covers the following: (a) Holistic investigation of interoperability issues governing VTUAV operations; (b) System hierarchy development for identification of the mission payload and vehicle components of an interoperable VTUAV; (c) Interoperable architecture development from a ‘Network Centric Operations’ (NCO) perspective; and (d) Verification of the interoperable VTUAV design methodology through a conceptual design exercise – case study on Counter- ‘Improvised Explosive Devices’ (IEDs) operations by VTUAV and UGV. The research updated the interoperable VTUAV design methodology and provided the following key contributions: (a) Identification of pre-emptive and situational mission requirements to maximise mission effectiveness for a stipulated operational need and environment; (b) Mission systems hierarchy and structure for identification of an enhanced mission payload through synergistic integration of on-board and off-board systems; (c) Interoperability architecture that complies with NATO interoperability standards; and (d) Vehicle system hierarchy and structure for design of vehicle components to meet design constraints and the stipulated mission requirements for optimising interoperability. The methodology developed for interoperable VTUAV design provides the avenue to achieve an optimal interoperable conceptual design – critical for integration of systems for NCW and total system effectiveness

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Delegation of Separation in NextGen Airspace

The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) performing delegated separation in the national airspace system (NAS). Delegated separation is the transfer of responsibility for maintaining separation between aircraft or vehicles from air navigation service providers to the relevant pilot or flight operator. The effects of delegated separation and traffic display information level were collected through performance, workload, and situation awareness measures. The results of this study show benefits related to the use of conflict detection alerts being shown on the UAS operator's cockpit situation display (CSD), and to the use of full delegation. Overall, changing the level of separation responsibility and adding conflict detection alerts on the CSD was not found to have an adverse effect on performance as shown by the low amounts of losses of separation. The use of conflict detection alerts on the CSD and full delegation responsibilities given to the UAS operator were found to create significantly reduced workload, significantly increased situation awareness and significantly easier communications between the UAS operator and air traffic controller without significantly increasing the amount of losses of separation

Seabasing and joint expeditionary logistics

Student Integrated ProjectIncludes supplementary material. Executive Summary and Presentation.Recent conflicts such as Operation Desert Shield/Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom highlight the logistics difficulties the United States faces by relying on foreign access and infrastructure and large supply stockpiles ashore to support expeditionary operations. The Navy's transformational vision for the future, Sea Power 21, involves Seabasing as a way to address these difficulties by projecting and sustaining joint forces globally from the sea. This study analyzes logistics flow to, within and from a Sea Base to an objective, and the architectures and systems needed to rapidly deploy and sustain a brigade-size force. Utilizing the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), this study incorporates a systems engineering framework to examine current systems, programs of record and proposed systems out to the year 2025. Several capability gaps that hamper a brigade-size force from seizing the initiative anywhere in the world within a 10-day period point to a need for dedicated lift assets, such as high-speed surface ships or lighter-than-air ships, to facilitate the rapid formation of the Sea Base. Additionally, the study identifies the need for large-payload/high-speed or load-once/direct-to- objective connector capabilities to minimize the number of at-sea transfers required to employ such a force from the Sea Base in 10 hrs. With these gaps addressed, the Joint Expeditionary Brigade is supportable from the Sea Base.http://archive.org/details/seabasingndjoint109456918N

Tactical decision aid for unmanned vehicles in maritime missions

An increasing number of unmanned vehicles (UV) are being incorporated into maritime operations as organic elements of Expeditionary and Carrier Strike Groups for development of the recognized maritime picture. This thesis develops an analytically-based planning aid for allocating UVs to missions. Inputs include the inventory of UVs, sensors, their performance parameters, and operational scenarios. Operations are broken into mission critical functions: detection, identification, and collection. The model output assigns aggregated packages of UVs and sensors to one of the three functions within named areas of interest. A spreadsheet model uses conservative time-speed-distance calculations, and simplified mathematical models from search theory and queuing theory, to calculate measures of performance for possible assignments of UVs to missions. The spreadsheet model generates a matrix as input to a linear integer program assignment model which finds the best assignment of UVs to missions based on the user inputs and simplified models. The results provide the mission planner with quantitatively-based recommendations for unmanned vehicle mission tasking in challenging scenarios.http://archive.org/details/tacticaldecision109452274Lieutenant, United States NavyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

China Maritime Report No. 23: The Type 075 LHD: Development, Missions, and Capabilities

When the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commissioned its first Type 075 class Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) in April 2021, it represented an important advance in power projection capability for China’s maritime forces. For the first time, the PLAN had an amphibious warship capable of hosting significant rotary wing forces while acting as the flagship for an amphibious task force. Now with three Type 075 class ships either in or soon to be in service, the PLAN has expanded its amphibious capability even further. The Type 075’s dedicated aviation support capability, ability to conduct wet well operations, and expanded command and control and medical facilities reflect capabilities that previously did not exist within the PLAN amphibious fleet. With the Type 075 LHD, the PLAN clearly intends to bolster its ability to project power from the sea in order to protect China’s overseas interests, but will require time for amphibious task forces to become fully proficient.https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cmsi-maritime-reports/1022/thumbnail.jp

Defense Acquisitions: Assessments of Selected Weapon Programs

A letter report issued by the Government Accountability Office with an abstract that begins "This is GAO's ninth annual assessment of Department of Defense (DOD) weapon system acquisitions, an area that is on GAO's high-risk list. The report is in response to the mandate in the joint explanatory statement to the DOD Appropriations Act, 2009. It includes observations on the performance of DOD's 2010 portfolio of 98 major defense acquisition programs; data on selected factors that can affect program outcomes; an assessment of the knowledge attained by key junctures in the acquisition process for a subset of 40 programs, which were selected because they were in development or early production; and observations on the implementation of acquisition reforms. To conduct this review, GAO analyzed cost, schedule, and quantity data from DOD's Selected Acquisition Reports and collected data from program offices on performance requirements and software development; technology, design, and manufacturing knowledge; and the implementation of DOD's acquisition policy and acquisition reforms. GAO also compiled one- or two-page assessments of 71 weapon programs. These programs were selected based on their cost, stage in the acquisition process, and congressional interest. DOD disagreed with GAO's use of total program cost growth as a performance metric because it includes costs associated with capability upgrades and quantity increases. GAO believes it remains a meaningful metric and that the report explicitly accounts for the cost effect of quantity changes.