Sensor Suites for UAVs

The increasing maturity of light-weight, high-resolution sensors and small UAVs enables more ambitious ISR missions to be accomplished at lower cost. An affordable small UAV sensor suite can be configured for missions that are too "dull, dirty and dangerous" to risk manned aircraft. Missions include wide area surveillance, target tracking, combat ID, weapon delivery, and terminal guidance. The suite will be designed for various small UAV platforms that operate as a team to perform missions; or contribute to a layered, networked environment that includes more powerful sensors on manned platforms or larger UAVs. In Phase I, TSC defined innovative sensor combinations including MMW radar and LADAR that fit within the size, weight and power payload limitations of small UAVs. TSC also identified promising small UAV systems and novel deployment concepts including swarms and parasitic configurations. In Phase II, TSC will develop analysis tools; perform trade-offs; and conduct simulations to evaluate candidate small UAV sensor suites. TSC will optimize an affordable sensor and UAV mix to meet AFRL cost goals; develop detailed CONOPS; and identify risk areas. For Phase III, TSC plans to integrate these tools within existing AFRL M&S environments, and carry out an experimental demonstration with a UAV testbed.