Accession Number:

ADA495577

Title:

Cooperative Unmanned Aerial Surveillance Control System Architecture

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND MANAGEMENT

Personal Author(s):

• Diamond, Theodore T.
• Rutherford, Adam L.
• Taylor, Jonathan B.

Report Date:

2009-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

218.0

Abstract:

Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance ISR is a high-demand Department of Defense mission performed by unmanned aircraft systems UAS at the tactical and theater levels. Coordinating UAS aircraft through cooperative control offers the advantages of persistence, distributed and adaptable sensor coverage, and reduced revisit time on points of interest. The purpose of this thesis is to apply systems engineering principals to the problem of developing a flexible, common control system for cooperative UAS surveillance at the tactical level. The AFIT team developed a concept of operations CONOPS encompassing various users and surveillance tasks. The team then used the scenarios in the CONOPS to build a conceptual architecture. Simultaneously, the team constructed and flew a developmental test system that closely resembled the architecture. The team then used this architecture and the prototype system to identify significant technical risks and future research areas to be explored prior to the development of an operational system.

Descriptors:

• *THEATER LEVEL OPERATIONS
• *DRONES
• SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
• RECONNAISSANCE
• THESES
• MISSIONS
• SURVEILLANCE
• CONTROL SYSTEMS
• FLIGHT TESTING
• INTELLIGENCE

Subject Categories:

• Pilotless Aircraft
• Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE