MQ-9 Reaper Automated Towing Collision Detection Vehicle

In aviation, 43% of accidents are ground mishaps caused by inadequate ground handling and improper maintenance and service operations, including cargo loading and unloading, and tugging and towing of aircraft [Flightfax Online Newsletter of Army Aircraft Accident Prevention: Ground Handling and Servicing  Operations, Number 110, August 2022]. Industry wide, aviation ground mishaps account for $10 billion (BN) annually in direct and indirect costs, with an estimated average of $250k per incident [The Flight Safety Foundation, Covering The Ground, August 2012]. For the Department of the Air Force (DAF), aircraft towing and related ground safety mishaps have accounted for a total of $12M to $50M costs of incidents for damaged equipment and aircraft over the past 5 years which Evitado has confirmed through engagement with DAF stakeholders from the 49th Maintenance Group (MXG) at Holloman Air Force Base (AFB), NM, 52nd Maintenance Squadron (MXS) at Spangdahlem Air Base (AB), Germany, 56th MXG at Luke AFB, AZ, 57th MXG at Nellis AFB, NV, 58th MXG at Kirtland AFB, NM, 736 Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (AMXS) at Dover AFB, DE, 2d MXG at Barksdale AFB, LA, and 28th MXG at Ellsworth AFB, SD. Most recently, the 49th MXG at Holloman AFB crashed one of its General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) while towing it with an Eagle Bobtail Tow Tractor, causing damage of the MQ-9 with over $2.8M. Hence, Evitado was able to confirm that the DAF has a national Defense-related mission need in the area of increased operational safety and significantly less damage to aircraft. Specifically, the DAF must determine strategies to eliminate human error and fatigue during towing, which leads to ramp accidents and damaged aircraft, delayed, or canceled sorties, ultimately affecting DAF strategic deterrence capabilities and mission effectiveness. In this RDT&E Phase II effort, Evitado will perform, in collaboration with our subcontractor TowFLEXX, the required DAF adaptation to provide a full automation capability for towing collision detection. Specifically, the effort focuses on providing the DAF with a solution to increase operational safety and prevent damage of aircraft and equipment when towing General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper UAVs, in reference to the most recent damage of an MQ-9 at Holloman AFB. The proposed capability will be based on the modification of a TowFLEXX TF3 electric tug vehicle and subsequent adaptation and integration of Evitado’s commercially available, standalone LiDAR-based collision detection technology as a combined hardware and software solution, for test and deployment of this integrated solution in the AF operational environments.