Integrated UGS and UAV Networks for Enabling Persistent ISR

In today’s asymmetric warfare, the warfighter relies on technological advantages to enable them to identify, track and monitor targets of interest, to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants, and to do this in rugged and isolated areas. There is a need for both long term surveillance of chokepoints, caves, and critical infrastructure, as well as short term tracking and validation of targets. Existing UGS systems can provide the long term surveillance but have limited detection/monitoring range. UAVs can provide tracking and improved look angles at targets, but have very limited mission lifespans. This program seeks to push the limits of state-of-the-art, demonstrating the ability to provide a multi-tiered sensor system that: · Uses UGS to initially detect suspects; · Communicates the key features of the target (e.g., size, position, direction and rate of travel) to a remote UAV base (or loitering UAV that might be covering a broad area); · Vectors a UAV to the target’s location, where the UAV acquires potential targets and discriminates targets based on the information from the UGS system to support a robust target re-acquisition.