Development of the Commander's Observation Vehicle for Elevated Reconnaissance (COVER)

Perceptronics and its team members Moller International and Flyer Group will design a complete elevated sensing system for forward-deployed combat units. The system, called COVER (Commander's Observation Vehicle for Elevated Reconnaissance), features an existing compact, electrically-tethered, ducted-fan lifting vehicle (Aerobot) mated to an existing highly-mobile, transportable vehicle (Flyer II ) that is representative of future scout and reconnaissance vehicles. The Phase I Design Study includes: 1) Review of mission applications, focusing on those currently identified for the RST-V and similar advanced vehicles; 2) Design of COVER system architecture and constituent COVER sub-systems, focusing on ease of deployment and use and on the identification of commercial off-the-shelf components that can meet immediate mission needs; 3) Analysis of key technical and tactical problem areas potentially impacting system effectiveness, such as detectability, stability, FOV, maneuverability, etc., including evaluation of their severity and direction for solution. The output for the Phase I Design Study will provide: 1) The technical and tactical basis for immediate Phase II production of the prototype COVER system; and 2) A guide to general application of the COVER concept for other DoD organizations and commercial users, including contractors participating in the RST-V and related advanced vehicle programs.