Collaborative Engagement with Unmanned Systems

With the development and fielding of small, inexpensive Unmanned Systems (UMS), the potential to significantly enhance battle space awareness and act as a force multiplier is available. However, the current operational control paradigm for UMS platforms that relies on teleoperation or simple waypoint tasking requires excessive operator involvement. A more effective control paradigm is the application of high-order mission tasking through a system architecture that supports autonomous UMS tasking based on platform capabilities, intelligent mission management based on operational parameters, and automated target detection, tracking, and engagement. This paradigm frees the operator from the low-level platform operations and shifts the operational focus to higher order tasks. This SBIR will migrate the Autonomous Collaborative Operations (ACO) program architecture onto the Class I CyberBug UAV developed by Cyber Defense Systems. A single operator will interact with multiple UMS at a tactical level to perform collaborative engagement through an ARDEC supplied fire support architecture. During CEUS Phase I we will use the ACO simulation environment to demonstrate the overall CONOPS and applicability to class I fixed wing assets. In addition we will conduct a demonstration with the Cyber Defense Systems Cyberbug UAV to prove key elements of the design.