APIARY: Aegis Platform Integration of Aerial Robotic sYstems

In modern conflict, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have proven essential for real-time surveillance, precision strikes, and other missions. The U.S. Navy seeks to integrate these platformsóranging from off-the-shelf drones to advanced, fully autonomous systemsóinto the Aegis Combat System. Our proposed software solution, APIARY (Aegis Platform for Integrating Aerial Robotic sYstems), will harmonize diverse UAS protocols using open standards and software-defined networking, ensuring that operators can seamlessly discover, command, and coordinate multiple platforms.APIARY addresses the Navyís goals of ìspeed and quality of information,î secure communications, and ìcost benefits Ö through improved maintenance and reduced manning.î It unifies different UAS data models, reduces the need for specialized hardware, and provides a scalable architecture capable of coordinating numerous drones across multiple vessels. Robust security mechanisms are designed to protect mission-critical data under a variety of operational conditions and threat environments.Through a phased approach, we will validate a common set of data interfaces, explore a flexible gateway architecture, examine large-scale resource management, and ensure secure data exchange. Ultimately, APIARY lays the groundwork for seamless interoperability, lower costs, and enhanced mission effectiveness, paving the way for the future integration of emerging UAS technologies, including swarms, into the Navyís arsenal.