Anti-Access Area Denial (A2AD) Small Uncrewed Aerial System (sUAS) Attritable Effects

The YELLOWJACKET MK1E is a low-cost (under $10K per unit) modification to the Darkhive MK1 model and is designed to carry a small, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) generator payload and autonomously navigate in GNSS and communications-denied environments utilizing visual inertial odometry (VIO) techniques.  Locally hosted machine learning object detection models enable the MK1E to autonomously identify critical targets the software has been pre-trained to recognize, fly in close-range, and activate the EMP to disable embedded electronic components.  Darkhive, in cooperation with the University of Alaska Center for UAS Integration (ACUASI), is proposing the enhancement of the YELLOWJACKET MK1 tactical sUAS to create the MK1E (EMP) variant capable of operating and delivering non-kinetic effects in contested A2AD environments in which US Air Force Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Special Reconnaissance (SR) airmen conduct critical AFSPECWAR mission sets like rapid reconnaissance. Enabling tactical users operating within A2AD environments to deliver disruptive effects to adversary command and control (C2) nodes, Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) sensors, Radar systems, and mobility platforms is critical to mission success in both current and future contested areas of responsibility (AORs). The key outcome of the feasibility study will be validation of the technical approach to developing a MK1E design that satisfies the requirements of users responsible for conducting the TACP mission with whom Darkhive is heavily engaged.