Feasibility of Downsizing and Adapting Commercial Silent Arrow Cargo Delivery UAS to Meet Specific AFSOC Operational Requirements

AFSOC has a national defense-related mission need in the area of precision aerial delivery for the advancement of high-altitude delivery and resupply of critical equipment, humanitarian aid, and other mission requirements. AFSOC’s diverse mission sets, extreme, working conditions, and no fail missions require capabilities to enable precise airdrop operations into challenging and unique environments.   The Silent Arrow® GD-2000 (Glider, Disposable, 2000 lbs.), designed by Yates Electrospace Corporation (YEC) as a commercial product and currently being sold to overseas customers via the Silent Arrow® and AVIUS Air Delivery™ brand names, has validated applications throughout the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy. Though interactions with YEC and the commercial Silent Arrow® GD-2000 via an active United States Special Operations (USSOCOM) cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), we believe that the technology adapted for Air Force requirements under the proposed SBIR Phase I and follow-on Phase II may contribute to providing a plausible pathway for cheap, mass precision aerial delivery.   Silent Arrow® is a commercial heavy payload, single-use, autonomous cargo delivery UAS developed by YEC and currently being flown in the National Airspace System (NAS) under FAA Certificates of Authorization (COAs).  The Silent Arrow® GD-2000 product is being sold and delivered to overseas commercial customers and large-scale production has been established in the United Kingdom to support the international commercialization effort.   AFSOC personnel have conducted hands-on evaluations of the commercial version of Silent Arrow® both at YEC’s flight test headquarters in Pendleton, OR, and at AFSOC facilities near the Tonopah Test Range, NV.  A series of recommendations and requirements to adapt the commercial version for use by the U.S. Military in general, and for AFSOC missions in particular, has been made to YEC during these sessions, which together comprise the scope of this Phase I proposal.  AFSOC airworthiness and air drop rigging personnel have also conducted comprehensive reviews of the adaptable commercial version resulting in limited flight test approval to deploy Silent Arrow® variants from certain AFSOC aircraft for evaluation purposes under the aforementioned CRADA.   The main goals of this project are feasibility development of a mission ready delivery solution adapted from YEC’s commercial Silent Arrow® GD-2000 product’s underlying spring wing technology, deployment mechanisms, and developing the feasibility of an adapted version specifically for V-22 aircraft which can also be used for side door commercial deployment, and comprehensive airworthiness approval of the resulting AFSOC system. The mission impact of this project on the Air Force and the Department of Defense will potentially increase AFSOC mission effectiveness and the way the USAF conducts aerial delivery while keeping crews and the cargo deployment aircraft out of harm’s way.