Attritable Swarming Long-endurance Drone (ASLED)

As the future of warfare moves towards saturation of defenses through numbers to impose a high-cost penalty on air defense systems, modular low-cost designs will be required to field inexpensive high-volume systems. In this proposed BAA study, Empirical Systems Aerospace, in. (ESAero) will conduct a conceptual design for a multifunction Attriable Swarming Long Endurance Drone (ASLED). Specifically, ESAero will assess both currently flying configurations that are updated to meet the performance objectives and trade them against clean sheet designs to investigate which option provides the best path forward for cost reduction through improved manufacturing process and lower cost avionics and subsystems. In parallel with vehicle design, CONOPS and system approach will be developed to drive the overall modularity of the system to allow for multi role capability. Leveraging a MOSA design, ASLED will be capable of integrating multiple systems and payloads, enabling both high-and low-end systems dependent on the end users’ requirements. This will be key to implementation of high-end swarming technology that will be required to effectively overwhelm enemy air defenses. During the Phase I effort ESAero will develop the ASLED concept into a feasible design through ESAero’s wholistic approach to UAS development focusing on rapid design iteration and component and system verification during early design. ESAero has successfully demonstrated this approach on many high-risk high reward UAS platforms for both defense and commercial applications. ESAero’s own product lines of FAST and VEESA low cost swarming systems are already positioned well to be leveraged for the ASLED development and demonstrate ESAero’s dedication to staying on the forefront of low cost swarming systems for defense applications. Additionally, ESAero can also transition the system from Phase I to Phase II and beyond utilizing AS9100 certified design and manufacturing processes, nearby dedicated test facilities, and 750+sq.ft of cleared SECRET level open-storage space and 20+ cleared personnel covering operations, engineering, and manufacturing disciplines. ESAero is uniquely positioned to develop and demonstrate the ASLED system to achieve DARPA’s goals for a minimum cost single use vehicle capable of providing swarming and affordable mass to the war fighter to counter emerging and complex threats.