11 soldier systems briefing 10 march 2010 2 this presentation is subject to the conditions of the...

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Soldier Systems Briefing

10 March 2010

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This presentation is subject to the conditions of the proprietary notice on slide 2

Proprietary Notice

This presentation contains sensitive information and/ or information proprietary to InnUVative Systems Inc. and shall only be used in the manner and for the purpose for which it has been provided.

Use of this documentation for any other purpose or disclosure of the documentation to third parties is strictly prohibited without the prior written authorization of InnUVative Systems Inc.

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• Who am I?

• Description of 4CE Control Station software

• History

• What is the problem?

• What are the possibilities?

• What is the solution?

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Who am I?

• 8 years as a Combat Systems Engineering Officer• 6 years as Project Lead on the US Army Tactical Unmanned Air

Vehicle (TUAV) Shadow 200 control station software – From initial stages of competing in and winning the US Army fly-off,– To fielding this system to Iraq (now over 450,000 combat flying hours)– Also during this period led the development of :

• The US Army Remote Viewing Terminal (also fielded in Iraq);• Integrated the Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL);• Extended the Shadow 200 control station software to control a Shadow 400

maritime UAV system; and• Led the integration of the US Army Hunter UAV into the existing TUAV control

station.

• Authored half a dozen papers on unmanned vehicle development that have been delivered at numerous UAV conferences around the world (AUVSI, Bristol, Melbourne, Brussels, etc.)

Mike Meakin- Background

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Description of System Elements

• The 4CE Control Station© software is our flag ship product– Command, Control, Communication,

Coordination & Execution

– It is compliant with STANAG 4586 Interoperability standard

• The Vehicle Specific Module (VSM) is really a System Specific Module as it applies to sensors, datalinks and other systems as well– STANAG 4586 is a complex standard and is

still undergoing changes so specialist knowledge is necessary

– Likewise JAUS for ground vehicles

• CCISM is less specialized but will be added as well

VSM

CORE UCS

CCISM

HC

I

OPERATOR(S)

DLI

CCI

AV

C4ISYSTEM

Payload

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History

• Developed STANAG-4586 Vehicle Specific Module (VSM) for the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) protocol– allows control of a JAUS compliant vehicle from a STANAG-4586

compliant UAV Control Station

• Member of STANAG-4586 Working Group– Active since May 09

• First release of 4CE Control Station August 2009– Integrated iRobot Create vehicle and wireless IP camera for demo

purposes

• Integrated quad rotor micro air vehicle with on board camera Feb 2010

Some Relevant Corporate Accomplishments

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What is the problem?

Postulate: Unmanned Systems are a necessary element in the solution to asymmetric warfare

The power of unmanned vehicles- especially UAVs- has been demonstrated at the tactical level and above.

A few small and micro vehicles have been fielded experimentally with mixed results.

Providing the soldier an organic air capability for situational awareness; reliable, real time tracking of hostiles; and precision strike capability is key to anti-insurgent operations

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Reducing Risk to The Soldier – Phase I

Organic Air Capability

•The ability for the soldier to “see around the corner” to identify who and where the threats are located significantly improves the safety of the soldier

•Through the use of an advanced control station solution, this data can be shared directly with the whole squad, either through still image or video clip

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Reducing Risk to The Soldier – Phase IIa

•Potentially, the SUAV or MAV itself could be fitted with a munition of some sort that allows detonation by the operator when a target has been closed•This is a long range, remote guided, highly accurate hand grenade…

•Munition could also be non-lethal…

• CS gas• Flash-Bang• Smoke• etc.

SUAV/ MAV as Precision Munition

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Reducing Risk to The Soldier – Phase IIb

Combined UGV/ UAV Combat Operations•Giving the soldier the ability to see what threats are around the corner has been extremely important•The next step is to relieve the soldier of having to be first around the corner to address the threat• Some systems have already anticipated the push to arm UGVs

•Integration of armed UGVs- either via JAUS or native protocol- into STANAG4586 allows the combined operations goal identified in the UAS Roadmap from OSD

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Real Time SA Updates

Combined UAV Combat Operations•Giving the soldier an organic air capability is important•Allowing that organic air capability to leverage off wide area surveillance platforms allows him to put what he sees into context with the wider battle…

It’s useful for the soldier to know:• There is a fire fight two blocks North• A bridge is out three blocks East• Etc.

Mixed assets:•C7•mortars and•artillery Likewise:•micro/ small•tactical and•MALE UAVsNeed mixed assets for different tasks

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Maintaining Eyes on Hostile

•Denying the hostile the ability to “fade away” completely negates a key element of asymmetric warfare

• The target could be handed off to a longer endurance tactical or strategic asset, if desired•This kind of “Pattern of Life” reconnaissance has been extremely effective at the tactical level in identifying, over time, high value targets

• Asymmetric warfare is based on the principle of “attack and fade away”• Providing the soldier with an organic air surveillance capability allows him to immediately- and potentially covertly- acquire and track the hostile, even when foot pursuit would lose him

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Counter IED Operations

Organic Convoy IED Protection• Currently, UAVs are used to recon convoy routes in advance for IEDs•These recons are typically done daily; there is always a time lag between the recon and the convoy during which IEDs can be- and are- laid

• Integration of MAVs and at least one IED disposal robot into each convoy would allow an organic, real time IED detection and neutralization capability into every convoy•MAVs could be flown as “outriders” as convoy is on the move to check the road ahead and each side

• Convoys could then practice “blow as you go” IED disposal, increasing safety significantly

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Simplified Interfaces

Using simplified and domain agnostic interfaces to hide the underlying complexity of the system, the operator is able to quickly and easily place the vehicles and payloads where he needs them to accomplish his mission.

This- complicated 4586 connection logic…

Becomes this- a simplified user interface for connecting

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Intuitive Control and MonitoringThe system icons themselves become the primary control interface• Use of graphical click, drag, etc. for direct immediate control of vehicle and payload• Right click to access vehicle’s and payload’s dialogs• Perfectly suited to operating on the go, from a portable computing device

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Advanced Status Panel

The Status Panel not only informs the operator when situations arise requiring their attention, it also supplies them with a fully interactive checklist wizard that guides them through the corrective action necessary for specific problems.

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Summary

• Unmanned Systems are proven at tactical level and above– They will be an integral part of the future soldier’s individual

arsenal

– The control interface must be simple and easily employed by the soldier for use on the move

• Asymmetric warfare is likely the primary threat of future operations– UAVs are a key element in the solution to asymmetric warfare

– The importance of interoperability between all ISR assets cannot be underestimated

• The Soldier Systems design must anticipate- even require- the integration of unmanned systems early in the life cycle

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In a competitive world

The distinguishing difference is

11 soldier systems briefing 10 march 2010 2 this presentation is subject to the conditions of the...

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