Missile Deployed Aerial Platform

Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) proposes to carry out the development of a Missile Deployed Aerial Platform (MDAP) that is capable of instantly providing communications, intelligence, surveillance, and/or reconnaissance capabilities to the battlefield warfighter. Real time battlefield information, from communications and situational awareness assets, is becoming more critical to commanders for moment-to-moment decision-making. To address this need, GAC proposes a disposable satellite-like aerial platform. GAC's approach satisfies the Army's need for an aerial platform that can instantly be deployed above a battlefield by a missile and that is designed to support Army Enterprise payloads. One concept of operations has a payload and stowed aerial platform being placed into the weapon bay of a tactical missile. The missile and platform are then programmed for launch and deployment, respectively, at a desired geographic location and altitude above a battlefield. GAC's concept is lightweight and low-cost; has a selectable deployment altitude and target range; achieves high-speed deceleration and orientation of missile forebody for platform deployment; incorporates a controller that initiates deployment; features a reliable and robust deployment method; and finally, easily scales up to larger missile size, for larger Army payloads or higher altitude, with little increase in unit cost.