Actionable Intelligence for the Warfighter
SPECIAL SECTION
Force Protection ISR
Intelligence Seeker Brig. Gen. (Sel.) Michael Groen Director of Intelligence Marine Corps
Force Protection O UAS Training O Synchronizing ISR Ops FMV Bandwidth ISR in Denied Areas
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October 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3
The new Manned Unmanned Operations Capability Development Laboratory uses MetaVR’s real-time visualization software to simulate Level of Interoperability (LOI) between a simulated helicopter and simulated UAV.
With MetaVR visuals used for simulated UAV camera payload video in Kiowa Warrior, F-16, and A-10 FMTs, and UAV camera payload simulations, users can achieve full terrain correlation during their distributed training exercises. UAV operators, helicopter pilots, and JTAC trainees can use the simulated sensor payload imagery in existing ISR assets with accurate KLV metadata. Real-time scenes from MetaVR’s visualization system and 3D terrain are unedited except as required for printing. The real-time rendering of the 3D virtual world in all images is generated by MetaVR Virtual Reality Scene Generator™ (VRSG™). 3D models and animations are from MetaVR’s 3D content libraries. © 2013 MetaVR, Inc. All rights reserved. MetaVR, Virtual Reality Scene Generator, VRSG, the phrase “Geospecific simulation with game quality graphics”, and the MetaVR logo are trademarks of MetaVR, Inc.
http://www.metavr.com sales@metavr.com US 617-739-2667
TACTICAL ISR TECHNOLOGY
September 2013 Volume 3, Issue 3
Features
Cover / Q&A
special section
8
Force Protection
The ISR involved in force protection differs from that involved in routine surveillance operations. Big data engines are driving the analysis of ISR streams in the battlespace from the forward operating base to much larger installations. By Hank Hogan
16 4
12
20
23
Training the UAS Operator
Speaking in Tongues
Surveilling Despite Unfriendly Skies
Tackling the Bandwidth Issue
Advanced simulation training is a costeffective alternative to live-fire and flight hours for future UAS operators. In the face of steep cuts to DoD’s budget, many in the military and in the industry expect this method of training to increase. By Chris McCoy
Departments
In this multi-polar world, the need for coalition operations places a premium on the synchronization and standardization of intelligence-gathering procedures and capabilities. NATO, DoD and ISR industry voices discuss recent technological breakthroughs and operations in the field. By Chris McCoy
2 Editor’s Perspective 3 ALL INT/People 14 ISR KIT 27 Resource Center
The Pacific region is home to many of the world’s most sophisticated militaries, and most UAS assets used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are designed for theaters lacking advanced air defense systems. This has a resulted in a shift in focus for UAS developers. By Hank Hogan
Full motion video has become an entrenched asset for tactical ISR data collection and dissemination. The ability to track targets over time is lost in still images. The eruption of full motion video intelligence; however, is straining the limits of bandwidth. By Peter Buxbaum
Industry Interview W. Garth Smith
Co-founder and CEO MetaVR
28
Brigadier General (Select) Michael Groen Director of Intelligence Marine Corps
“The best intelligence capability and the best operational capabilities in the world are severely limited if they do not train and operate as part of a smoothly integrated whole.” ––Brigadier General (Select) Michael Groen
EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE
Tactical ISR Technology Volume 3, Issue 3 • October 2013
Actionable Intelligence for the Warfighter Editorial Editor Chris McCoy chrism@kmimediagroup.com Managing Editor Harrison Donnelly harrisond@kmimediagroup.com Online Editorial Manager Laura Davis laurad@kmimediagroup.com Copy Editor Sean Carmichael seanc@kmimediagroup.com Correspondents Peter Buxbaum • Hank Hogan
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As of the printing of this issue of Tactical ISR Technology, we are in the midst of a government shutdown. I can only hope that Congress’s lack of progress to put an end to the shutdown is overcome by the time this publication is in circulation. The shutdown resulted in the furlough of over 800,000 federal employees. This figure included 70 percent of the nation’s intelligence workers, who were deemed “non-essential” employees. In an October 2 Senate panel hearing with Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper and Director of the NSA General Keith B. Alexander, the scope Chris McCoy of the dilemma for the intelligence community was laid bare. Editor “I’ve never seen anything like this ... This seriously damages our ability to protect the safety and security of this nation and its citizens,” said Clapper. “[The shutdown] is a dreamland for foreign intelligence to recruit, especially as our employees, already subject to furloughs driven by sequestration, will have even greater financial challenges.” “This has impacted us very hard,” said Alexander. The general explained that the shutdown has led his agency to focus only on the most specific threats against the nation. He also pointed out that the shutdown “has had a huge impact on morale” at the NSA. Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) questioned Clapper’s presentation of the intelligence community crisis. Grassley’s criticism of Clapper’s presentation centered on the notion of how 70 percent of intelligence community workers could be legally designated as “non-essential.” “You either need better lawyers or [you] need to make changes in your workforce,” said Grassley to Clapper. Considering that Clapper’s lawyers are following the letter of the law regarding the shutdown, I thought Grassley’s comment took a lot of chutzpah. Clapper himself responded that following the law meant retaining only the workers “necessary to protect against imminent threat to life and property.” Adjusted for inflation, the last government shutdown during the Clinton administration cost an estimated $2 billion. By allowing these holes in our intelligence community to develop, we risk the loss of something even greater and not as easily quantifiable: our safety. As usual, feel free to contact me with any questions or comments for Tactical ISR Technology.
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$308 Million Contract Modification for Production of Missiles Lockheed Martin has received a $308 million contract modification from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for hardware and services associated with the combat-proven Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment program. In addition to fiscal year 2013 missile and command launch system production for the U.S. Army, the contract marks the first foreign military sale of the PAC-3 missile to Kuwait. Kuwait is the sixth international customer for the PAC-3 missile. The contract includes production of 244 hit-to-kill PAC-3 missiles, 72 launcher modification kits and associated tooling, as well as program management. This is the 14th production buy of the PAC-3 Missile Segment by the U.S. government. “Kuwait’s purchase of PAC-3 Missiles will provide its defense forces with a superior air and missile defense capability,” said Richard McDaniel, vice president of PAC-3 Missile programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “This is another example of the growing global interest for the PAC-3 missile’s capabilities.” In 2009, Taiwan became the fifth international customer for the PAC-3 missile, joining the Netherlands, Germany, Japan and the United Arab Emirates in fielding the system. Production will take place at Lockheed Martin’s manufacturing facilities in Dallas and Lufkin, Texas; Chelmsford, Mass.; Ocala, Fla.; and Camden, Ark. Deliveries will begin in 2014. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the PAC-3 missile segment upgrade to the Patriot air defense system. The PAC-3 missile segment consists of the PAC-3 missile, a highly agile hit-to-kill interceptor, the PAC-3 missile canisters (each of which hold four PAC-3 missiles, with four canisters per launcher), a fire solution computer, and an enhanced launcher electronics system and launcher support hardware.
New Tethered Unmanned Aerial System Variant UAV Solutions announced that it has developed a tethered version of its Allerion 25 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) surveillance unmanned aerial system. The new tethered system, Allerion 25-T, will be a valuable asset to police and firefighters and border security agents with its range of 250 feet, rapid set-up capability, 12-hour endurance and modular electro-optical/infrared payload. A tethered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance UAS platform provides distinct advantages because it allows users to maintain physical control of the UAS, coupled with a direct command and control link via the tether, reducing the requirement for spectrum allocation and enabling secure data dissemination. The next phase of the ISR variant Allerion 25-T will include the addition of a communications relay, which will make the tethered Allerion ideal for use during natural disasters and events where communications are critical. The Allerion 25 is a rugged VTOL quad rotor UAS weighing less than 25 pounds, equipped with an electro-optical and thermal imager tilt gimbal dual capability camera. The system has been packaged in a custom enclosure that houses all required components in the trunk or bed of a vehicle.
PEOPLE Douglas L. Loverro has been appointed to the Senior Executive Service as deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Policy), Washington, D.C. Loverro previously served as executive director for the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base. Air Force Major General Michael A. Keltz, director, strategic planning and policy, J-5, Headquarters U.S Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, has been assigned as
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director, intelligence, operations and nuclear integration, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San AntonioRandolph, Texas. Air Force Major General Timothy M. Zadalis, director, intelligence, operations and nuclear integration, Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San AntonioRandolph, Texas, has been assigned as commander, 618th Air and Space Operations
Center (Tanker Airlift Control Center), Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Navy Rear Admiral (lower half) Elizabeth L. Train, who has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office /commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C. Train is currently serving as director for intelligence, J2, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.
TISR 3.3 | 3
Training the
UAS Operator
How UAS simulation training is edging closer to reality. With the drawdown of UAS assets from Afghanistan and the emerging cuts in flight operations, in theater, it is becoming more important for the military to maintain crew proficiency through the use of UAS simulators. “UAS simulators will accurately represent and correctly display all available aircraft, datalink, payloads, weapons, automatic takeoff and landing system, and aircraft subsystems’ responses to failure and emergency conditions,” said Major Voyed Couey, assistant program manager, Shadow Product Office. “Tactical radio communications will be simulated utilizing an appropriate radio simulation that does not limit live radio communications and will also provide a high resolution visual scene for realistic payload operations.” 4 | TISR 3.3
Couey explained that the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office is moving forward in its preparation to field over 100 UAS simulator systems to the warfighter. The Universal Mission Simulator was a success with the first fielding to Dugway Proving Grounds in support of Shadow initial key personnel training. “UAS simulator training enables operators’ greater system familiarization while increasing much needed hands-on soldier/system experience via simulated crew drills, flight management and communications,” said Couey. Couey acknowledged that the demands of operating a new, highly complex and dynamic unmanned system in an austere deployed environment are difficult to duplicate in institutional or home station training. As new UAS units deploy in
By Chris McCoy, TISR Editor
support of theater operations, there is a steep learning curve, but recent experience has shown that UAS soldiers are up to the task and it doesn’t take long before they are employing unmanned aircraft with great effectiveness in support of the warfighter.
Virtual Reality Scene Generator One company in the forefront of UAS simulation training is MetaVR. MetaVR’s image generator provides high-fidelity visuals for UAS simulation training. The company’s Virtual Reality Scene Generator (VRSG) can be configured to simulate a UAS in a variety of ways. These range from using VRSG’s internal camera payload model, in which the telemetry of the simulated UAV is provided by a distributed interactive simulation (DIS) or high www.TISR-kmi.com
level architecture entity, to fully integrated applications such as the Multiple Unified Simulation Environment/Air Force Synthetic Environment for Reconnaissance and Surveillance (MUSE/AFSERS) tactical trainer. The MUSE/AFSERS tactical trainer is used at the UAV training center at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., and other military training sites. MUSE/AFSERS is also the primary UAS training and simulation system used in DoD for command-level and staff-level joint services training. MetaVR’s VRSG provides MUSE’s visualization component, which generates synthetic payload scene video and/or imagery of the 3-D battlefield with simulated target entities. This video and imagery is subsequently fed to a tactical or generic UAS/intelligence platform control station, where operators perform air vehicle and payload control functions, and an air vehicle and datalink simulation. Use of VRSG in the MUSE/AFSERS system contributes to making MetaVR one of the largest suppliers of UAS commercial licensed 3-D visualization software for the U.S. military. VRSG is used in simulations for individual, crew and collective training for piloting UASs such as the Shadow, Gray Eagle and Hunter in settings ranging from classrooms (including portable classrooms) to simulation setups that replicate a full ground control shelter with one-seat, two-seat, or three-seat configurations. The recently released VRSG version 5.8 delivers a new Scenario Editor application. This application, which is similar to a game-level editor, allows users to create and edit scenarios to play back in VRSG. Scenario Editor provides a graphical interface with tools and content libraries that users can access to build dense 3-D scenes such as airports, forward operating bases and urban areas, with realistic visual characteristics of static culture and scripted movements of vehicles and characters. Scenario Editor gives users the tools for building and sharing tactical training VRSG scenarios in DIS networked environments, ranging from a setting where the instructor and trainees are co-located to training exercises conducted in a distributed networked configuration. “With Scenario Editor, any user from any background can create massive and complex scenarios. Unlike many commercial visualization simulators, with the combination of self-built scenarios and VRSG version 5.8, a user can fly above www.TISR-kmi.com
Displayed is a fully configured Predator Mission Aircrew Training System as used by the U.S. Air Force. [Photo courtesy of L-3 Link]
a physically accurate sensor an elaborate scene of geoscene derived from a visualspecific synthetic terrain spectrum terrain database, and clusters of buildings, the ability to build scenarios in a manner that simulates that simulate real-life situUAVs such as the Shadow,” ations has become simpler. said Skylar Sanders, former “Creating scenarios of Shadow operator. Sanders is an IED attack, compound currently attending Embryoverwatch, and tactical asset Riddle Aeronautical Univerentry and exit are just a few of sity and working at MetaVR the ways that Scenario Edias an intern. Skylar Sanders tor can be used to give a UAV The level of detail one ssanders@metavr.com payload operator the tools can build into a scenario for realistic training exercises in a simuallows the UAV operator trainee to track lated environment,” Sanders pointed out. anything from anti-aircraft guns shooting “Training with scenarios that push operatracer rounds, to traffic moving on city tors to work together as a team can only be streets, to chickens strutting about in a accomplished with complex simulations. henhouse. In Scenario Editor, one can The level of complexity can be adjusted simply click and drag models of objects by the trainer to facilitate any level of from MetaVR’s large model libraries into ISR necessary.” the scenario and then assign them various Events reported in news media of areas characteristics and waypoints for a path of of conflict or disasters can serve as inspiratravel. For example, by dragging a model tion for creating training scenarios. of a car into the scenario, a user can then “Scenario Editor allows payload opercreate a path of movement for the car. ators, imagery analysts and others to In this manner, a busy highway can then become active players in the simulation be constructed through simple copying creation, instead of just passive players and pasting of vehicle models and paths. observing the UAS operator,” said Sanders. Simulated towns and cities can be created “Altogether, a multitude of jobs in the miliwith distinct patterns of life. Coupled with tary and civilian industries can take part in the new physics-based infrared capability the playing out of each scenario.” in VRSG version 5.8, which can provide TISR 3.3 | 5
An Integrated Training Environment AAI, a provider of simulators, reiterated Couey’s conception that the primary consideration for UAS simulators is ensuring they mimic the real systems as closely as possible. AAI explained that there are a number of factors to take in consideration when designing a realistic simulator for a UAS asset. “The simulator should consider backward compatibility to account for all fielded configurations of the asset,” said David Gwizdalski, senior system engineer, AAI Logistics & Technical Services. “Also, the simulator should offer a level of fidelity that matches key characteristics of the actual equipment. With these factors in place, the simulated environment can actually be richer than what is possible within the confines of live training exercises with airspace and other limitations.” It is also important for a future UAS operator to get a sense of the environment where they could be deployed from a training simulator. “Simulators can help develop key skills in trainees before they are faced with the unique pressures of the deployed environment,” said Gwizdalski. “One important skill is detail orientation. The best operators follow established procedures thoroughly and without deviation to minimize risk. We take them through these checklists during training to encourage this behavior.” AAI’s Shadow Crew Trainer can train up to five students simultaneously in an integrated mode including both operator and maintainer trainees. The simulator allows complete recording of the mission for after-action review. Simple graphical user interfaces mimic the actual equipment and allow instructors to inject a variety of faults into the exercises easily. “The Shadow Crew Trainer uses primarily commercial off-the-shelf [COTS] hardware, which makes maintenance easier and more affordable for the customer,” said Gwizdalski. “The trainer is also implemented in a fully enclosed mobile classroom configuration. This is more affordable to construct and maintain, but also helps the customer provide training capability when and where it’s needed.” AAI’s Aerosonde trainer also provides air vehicle operator and mission payload operator training in a classroom environment. 6 | TISR 3.3
It is a core element of the Aerosonde train“Vampire provides the ability for small ing curriculum utilized at the Fort PickUAS operators to train anywhere, anytime ett schoolhouse, where AAI using their actual tactitrains its own Aerosonde cal equipment,” said Del system operators. Beilstein, vice president of “Like the Shadow Crew business development, TechTrainer, the Aerosonde simnology Solutions. “Vampire ulator leverages COTS comis integrated with the Falponents and software for conView mission planning maintainability and affordsoftware used by small UAS ability, and incorporates an operators and provides a realeasy-to-use graphical user istic and compelling virtual interface for the benefit of environment for training that Del Beilstein both students and instrucincludes geospecific terrain, tors,” said Gary Townsend, moving 3-D models, simudbeilstein@aegistg.com senior manager software lated weather, atmospheric engineering, AAI Unmanned Aircraft Sysand time of day effects, along with a host of tems. “Most importantly, our Aerosonde complex tactical scenarios. There are more trainer is highly scalable. It can accommothan 3,500 Vampire licenses fielded across date up to 24 total operator trainees, and the U.S., DoD and worldwide.” can grow from there as necessary.” One unique feature of Vampire is The Aerosonde trainer is utilized prithat it is 100 percent embedded on the marily within the Fort Pickett schoolfielded hardware for the Raven, Wasp and house. However, as the aircraft system Puma UASs, so there’s nothing else to itself grows in use, AAI is bolstering the take to the field for training. If conditions capabilities of the trainer and notices great do not allow live flight, operators can interest in it by potential domestic and still train effectively in Vampire’s virtual foreign customers. training environment. “For the Aerosonde trainer, we are addAEgis has fielded more than 3,500 ing new capabilities to the system reflectVampire systems across the U.S. Army and ing the integration of various new payloads Army National Guard, U.S. Air Force, U.S. to the Aerosonde aircraft—for example, Marine Corps, and other U.S. government communications relay and automatic idenagencies. They also recently developed a tification system,” said Townsend. “In addiclassroom training version called Vampiretion, we are investigating ways to inject ITS (V-ITS). Currently being fielded across environmental conditions such as wind the Army in support of the Small UAS gusts and precipitation that could add to Master Trainer program, V-ITS allows a the realism of the simulation and types of single master trainer to manage initial emergencies which the operators would be qualification training for up to 10 small required to manage.” UAS teams simultaneously. Gwizdalski explained that the Shadow Crew Trainer customer is the Army Flying With a Safety Pilot National Guard. AAI is executing a software upgrade currently on the National Guard Northrop Grumman uses multiple systems, with 20 of 28 sets of modifications training tools to educate and enhance completed. “We also have been operating UAS operator skill sets. One of the coma Shadow Crew Trainer help desk for four pany’s more recent offerings is SandShark, years,” said Gwizdalski. “We’re working which is an introductory UAS training with our customer to ascertain how the system as well as a proficiency trainer for larger Army can leverage the Shadow Crew manual takeoff and landing UASs such as Trainer as well.” the Predator or Reaper. The SandShark Remotely Piloted Aircraft Training System Embedded Simulation Solutions is designed to emulate larger unmanned aircraft with a scaled model that is significantly lower in price and operating costs. AEgis produces the Vampire family of “Simulators don’t do a very good job small UAS simulations that are embedded of replicating flight in ‘ground effect,’ but on the ground control stations for the because SandShark is an actual aircraft, Raven, Wasp and Puma UAS manufactured it experiences the same phenomenon as by AeroVironment Inc. www.TISR-kmi.com
larger platforms. It can also be operated through the Internet and 4G cellular network remotely,” said Karl Purdy, capture manager for new unmanned aerial systems, Northrop Grumman Technical Services. “We have flown an aircraft in Montana from as far away as Orlando, Fla., real-time with line-of-sight latency. That gives the customer additional flexibility because the SandShark doesn’t interfere with other Predator or Reaper training. The students can simply dial up one of the SandShark airfields, request some time to fly, and they’re off.” The time to launch SandShark is five minutes compared to 60 to 90 minutes for operational aircraft. What’s unique is that it has a safety pilot who is co-located with the aircraft and can take control at any time if they feel there are unsafe conditions due to student error, loss of communication or anything else. “We’ve logged over 4,000 landings conducting remote operations without a single loss,” said Purdy.
Improving Aircrew Human Factors Skills
The primary method of CTI’s training is classroom facilitation with extensive hands-on individual and team exercises, instructor-led discussions, immersive scenario and role-playing exercises, in addition to case study recreations and review. CTI’s contract with the Air Force’s Combat Air Forces Crew Resource Management program focuses on improving aircrew human factors skills to ensure that missions are accomplished safely and effectively. CTI develops and facilitates classes taken by over 7,000 U.S. Air Force crewmembers and students annually. CTI’s training extends well into the manned aircraft arena. “On our RCOCWC-135&E-4B contract, we provide CAT training device instruction, instructional delivery of training materials, and develop courseware and instructor training for the tactical missions of the RC/OC/WC-135 flight deck/mission crews and E-4B mission crews at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb,” said Black.
High-Fidelity Immersive Simulation
In June of this year, L-3 Link Simulation & Training won the re-compete for the PredaFor over 20 years, Crew tor Mission Aircrew Training Training International (CTI) System (PMATS). L-3 Link has developed advanced has had this U.S. Air Force training solutions for DoD, program, which trains both government and corporate MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 training programs. The Reaper crews, since its incepcompany develops coursetion in 2005. ware and instructor train“Under the initial coning for unmanned aircraft tract we delivered 26 systems at the United States Matthew Black PMATS,” said Jeff Schram, Air Force Weapons School at mblack@cti-crm.com director of business develNellis Air Force Base, Nev. opment for L-3 Link Sim“We use innovative ulation & Training. “The learning technologies and fielding of these devices current adult learning and the subsequent training principles to develop custhey have provided helped tomized training for each to validate the value that of our contracts,” said Mathigh-fidelity, immersive simthew Black, vice president of ulation can bring to crews business development. “This preparing for operational training is customized for missions. In fact, you could each contract, specifically, say that PMATS has proven the crews, their aircraft and Jeff Schram the value of simulation-based any current training defijeffrey.schram@l-3com.com training for the unmanned ciencies or desired areas community just as Link Blue Boxes for improvement. CTI has the ability to did for aircrews during World War II.” discreetly work with each customer to Each of the 26 PMATS units uses an research their exact training requirements actual ground control station that is inteand develop a customized program to meet grated with L-3 Link’s simulation software their needs.” www.TISR-kmi.com
and visual system databases to create a high-fidelity environment that simulates aircraft performance, weapons, sensors, communications, data link operations, emergencies, degraded video feeds and environmental conditions. When training in PMATS, Predator and Reaper crews can undergo initial qualification, mission qualification, continuation and mission rehearsal training. “Under the recently awarded re-compete contract, we are continuing to provide ongoing contractor logistics support and are operating the Training System Support Center for all 26 PMATS devices, which are located at Air Force installations throughout the continental U.S.,” said Schram. “The Air Force has contract options for L-3 Link to build over 50 additional PMATS devices. We also are responsible for followon concurrency between PMATS devices and the Predator and Reaper platforms through 2019.” Schram explained that L-3 Link’s focus is to develop high-fidelity, complex mission simulations that increase crews’ mission readiness enabling their customers to use simulation for a majority of their overall training regimen. On PMATS, they have made simulation technology investments that are enabling the Air Force to achieve over 50 percent of its Predator and Reaper training through use of these devices. “We will continue to work closely with our Air Force customer and make the technology leaps forward to support the service’s goal to achieve 100 percent of its UAS crew training through simulation,” said Schram. “We’re also bringing the same level of innovation to U.S. Army Shadow crew training. The Army needed a capability to train unmanned Shadows working with manned OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters. Our Blue Box enhanced training system in SimuScout is currently training Army crews in Manned/Unmanned Teaming events.” Altogether, although flight hours will decrease for today’s UAS operators, through an examination of some main companies involved in UAS training, it is apparent that the military will still have options for training through simulation as the drawdown from the war in Afghanistan continues. O For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.
TISR 3.3 | 7
special section
With technology, force protection advances.
By Hank Hogan, TISR Correspondent
or a defensive position in an FOB [forward operating base], that Protecting bases large and small in a warzone comes down to requires more analysis. It requires more collection. sensing and making sense. The former is getting It requires more platforms,” Custer said. better, thanks to high-definition video, improved A former director of intelligence (J2) at U.S. thermal imaging, better radar, the incorporation Central Command, Custer is now director of federal of all sensors into tactical data networks and other strategic missions and programs for EMC Corp. The advances. As for the latter, understanding what Hopkinton, Mass.-based data storage and products sensors detect has long been more of a challenge. company is now a player in in big data analytics, having However, here too progress is being made with the acquired previously independent solutions supplier advent of analysis driven by big data engines. Greenplum in 2010. Force protection requires more of both, said Communications technology is another central retired U.S. Army Major General John Custer. In component of force protection. Headquartered in part, that’s because it requires a different focus John Custer New York City since 2007, Persistent Systems LLC of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance is a global communications technology company which develops, technology. manufactures and integrates a patented and secure mobile ad hoc “That’s a different side to ISR, which we’ve traditionally looked networking system: Wave Relay. Wave Relay is capable of running at as being offensive. Protecting our own forces, either in contact 8 | TISR 3.3
www.TISR-kmi.com
data, video, voice and other applications under difficult and unpredictable conditions. The company’s suite of products is field proven and utilized in commercial, military, government, industrial, agricultural, mining, oil and gas, robotics, and unmanned systems markets. “What makes us unique is our peer-to-peer networking, ability to do high-throughput multicast for real-time traffic. Our Quad Radio Router and dual radio gives us frequency diversity and more system capacity due to the multiple radios,” said Adrien Robenhymer, vice president of business development and marketing at Persistent Systems. “Also, that we don’t have a hop count limit. There is no maximum number of nodes in the network. We can over the air configure the entire network as well as change the key.” Wave Relay allows forces to enhance situational awareness and force protection by integrating video, voice, data, sensors and devices into a common environment. The system seamlessly connects operators, vehicles, aircraft and unmanned systems for real-time, high-bandwidth communication. It allows for legacy systems and non-networked systems to be brought in and distributed amongst the users enabling faster actions and decisions at every phase of an operation. Following the collection of data, analysis, both human and automated, faces some hurdles when it comes to force protection, Custer noted. For example, consider the question of how to bring together video from an unmanned aerial vehicle aloft today with intelligence such as interviews of village elders conducted in the past. The bigger picture formed from these two pieces of information has to be presented in a way that any group in theater can make use Mike Roberts of. This means that any analysis has to not only be complete and understandable but also must take place in near-real time. Analytic advances like the use of Hadoop and Map Reduce technologies are just beginning to have an impact on this problem. These efforts will be helped by the deployment of platforms carrying a bevy of sensors in an unmanned or remotely manned architecture. These developLogan Harris ments complement ongoing sensor loganh@spotterrf.com system improvements. An example of these trends on the smallest scale comes from Colorado-based Millennium Sensor. Because of how the company’s products are used, analytics are not automated and instead are left up to the operator, said CEO Mike Roberts. Millennium Sensor targets its devices at squad size or slightly larger forces engaged in tactical operations. Consequently, the company has made sure its products offer the ability to quickly set up, run and take down a perimeter for access denial in an austere environment. Many of the company’s products are used to protect FOBs or by warfighters as they move through an area on a mission, Roberts said. “They can throw these things out for a couple hours while they rest and then collect them and be gone.” www.TISR-kmi.com
Although the intended use is by tactical teams operating on their own, Millennium Sensor’s products now incorporate the ability to talk to satellites and otherwise link into a larger network. They also offer longer transmission and sensor ranges, now covering several kilometers. A final recent improvement has involved extending the time the system can run on a charge. Weeks are now possible, while before the duration had been measured in days. Going forward, smaller teams are being asked to do more while simultaneously reducing An infrared panoramic image taken equipment size and weight, Rob- Top: by Spynel. [Photo courtesy of HGH Infrared erts predicted. Satisfying that Systems] need may well require getting Above: The Spynel is a passive camera for more performance from exist- infrared panoramic vision. [Photo courtesy of HGH Infrared Systems] ing, tactical sensor networks and interoperability with larger systems, something Millennium Sensor continually works toward. Protecting slightly larger forces is being handled using various approaches. One comes from SpotterRF, an Orem, Utah-based company that makes compact surveillance radar systems for perimeter security and force protection. In 2012, the company released a backpack radar kit. Taking only three minutes to set up and weighing less than 20 pounds, it consists of two M600C radars, a network hub, tablet, battery, tripod and cables. It provides wide-area intrusion detection of more than 150 acres and 90 degrees per radar unit regardless of weather conditions or visibility. The company’s radars weigh only a few pounds and are very stingy with power, consuming less than 10 watts, said CEO Logan Harris. Thus, a standard BA-5590 military battery can power a sensor for 24 hours. The radar has a built-in web server and acts like any other IP device sitting on a network. Like other motion tracking radars, it detects movement. Avoiding false alarms due to the swaying of trees in the wind or waves on water is possible thanks to work done by SpotterRF. TISR 3.3 | 9
special section “We spent a lot of time building these algorithms that filter out signatures that aren’t of interest, particularly wind-blown clutter,” Harris said. HGH Infrared Systems of Cambridge, Mass., exploits another part of the spectrum for its force protection solution. Operating in the thermal infrared band from 3-5 and 8-12 microns wavelength, the company’s Spynel offers panoramic thermal imaging and threat detection, said Josh Howlett, sales manager for North America. Constantly scanning the perimeter once a second, it can detect people out to a distance of up to 6 kilometers and vehicles at about twice that range. For instances where higher resolution is needed, such as identification of smaller objects beyond a Josh Howlett kilometer, direct slew to cue control of external visible and thermal cam- josh.howlett@hgh-infrared.com eras is possible. It doesn’t react to the movement of a flag flapping in the breeze, thanks to adjustable algorithms built into the system, Howlett said. “It looks for heat signature movement and then it confirms that movement over what we tell it. Conventionally, it’s done over three confirmed and consistent movements.” The ability to suppress false posiJohn Marion tives can be further enhanced through the use of detection zones. Thus, john.marion@logos-technologies.com certain high-traffic areas can be ignored, or areas can be excluded based on the time of day or the day of the week. For force protection, the system can also be tied into other sensors, such as acoustic devices used for gunshot detection. This data fusion helps confirm, identify and classify threats, Howlett said. Fairfax, Va.-based Logos TechnoloMark Clifton gies offers force protection via persistent surveillance platforms, such as its Kestrel. This 150-pound package hangs from an aerostat perched a few thousand feet above the ground. It provides sensor data over a moderate city-sized area. This region will be surveyed at an intermediate resolution, with only those items and zones of interest being zoomed into for examination via higher resolution full motion video. An important capability multiplier in the system is the intelligent use of sensor data. For instance, the system can detect movement by looking at changes from frame to frame. But it can also discriminate between movement indicative of a threat and the more innocent variety, said Execitive Vice President John Marion. “We may require a number of hits in a row before you call it a proper detection. There are other criteria you can add. For instance, 10 | TISR 3.3
for vehicles you may want them to be above a certain velocity,” he said. There are 10 or so different parameters that are tuned to optimize performance, Marion added. In addition to speed and direction, they can include such things as adjustments to account for the background of a scene. Processing of the data is done on the ground, with the information traveling down from the aerostat over fiber-optic cables. A compact surveillance radar system Consequently, the computing Top: backpack radar kit deployed in the mountains. power that can be brought to [Photo courtesy of SpotterRF] bear on the problem of interpretAbove: The Mobile Surveillance Capability is ing the data is not limited to an integrated sensor system. [Photo courtesy what can fit within the size, of FLIR] weight and power constraints of the aircraft. Partly as a result, the analysis can be done in near real time. An important point is that the image jitter due to movement of the aircraft has to be eliminated. Logos Technologies accomplishes this by building up a 3-D model of the field of view, Marion said. A company that tackles the little and big force protection picture is SRI International of Menlo Park, Calif. On the small scale the company offers its VerifIR standoff threat detection system. It can be used to pick out hidden explosives carried on someone’s body, doing so by merging the image from a visible camera with one from an infrared camera in a way that eliminates what would otherwise be a source of distortion in the fused image. “We’ve co-aligned the optical paths of those two cameras so there’s no parallax when you fuse those images,” said Mark Clifton, vice president of the SRI International products and services division. The system works because an object concealed beneath clothing won’t be at the same temperature as a person’s body. Hence, it will show up in an IR scan. When overlaid on top of a visible image, this allows trained operators to spot hidden explosives, guns and other threats at distances of up to 60 yards. The technique is not foolproof, but it can serve as part of a layered force protection setup. Those entering a compound or building, for instance, might have to pass through a metal detector, a millimeter wave backscatter device and a VerifIR camera. www.TISR-kmi.com
Another SRI product offers quick authentication via an iris scan. When coupled with a device that reveals hidden threats, this might significantly reduce the possibility of hostiles infiltrating a base. On the big scale, there’s TerraSight. This video exploitation software from SRI helps manage all of the sensors in a common operating environment. The combination David Cullin of sensors can provide information david.cullin@flir.com no single system can match, and a unified approach like this will likely be the answer to future needs, Clifton said. Combining and integrating sensors with other data can be likened to being in a doctor’s office for a diagnosis, said Dave Cullin, chief technology officer of FLIR Systems of Wilsonville, Ore. No one result may be conclusive, but the sum total could be. An example is gunshot detection. The information that a shot has been fired and pinpointing of its origin can be combined with the known location of troops. This can be used to determine if the shot was from friendly or hostile forces. That information, in turn, can help decide what actions to take to enhance force protection.
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A particularly tough problem that might benefit from this combined approach involves chemical and biological agents. Determining the exact nature of these threats often entails wet chemistry, a process that can take 45 minutes or more to run to completion. Research is underway to develop methods that are faster and more sensitive. With integration and automation, though, it might be possible to use radars, a visible or an IR camera to detect a plume. This would then be investigated by appropriate stand-off chemical or biological sensors. While waiting for these wet chemistry results to come back, measures could be taken to protect troops or civilians, such as adjusting the air conditioning system of a building or giving the command to shelter in place. In the future, using various bands in the long-, mid- and shortwave IR, along with other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and other sensors, might allow better detection of chemical and biological threats. That could then be automated and integrated. Speaking of this conceptual approach, Cullin said, “It’s a distributed tricorder in some ways, with disparate data from distributed sensors brought together within the command-and-control function.” O
For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.
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Synchronizing ISR Operations
By Christopher McCoy, TISR Editor
cooperation among many allied partners.” The DoD spokesperson Synchronizing ISR operations is always an important chalfurther elaborated that this cooperation took many forms, saying lenge in a battlespace consisting of coalition forces. With the that these forms included “material and/or analytical contribuNATO mission in Afghanistan winding down, new troubles are tions from a number of contributing partners that improved surfacing in the Sinai and other parts of North Africa. Meanwhile, efforts to engage the adversary and advance coalition goals.” Syria serves as another flashpoint. Standardized and shared sysOne example of a dynamic environment for combined joint tems would play a major role in synchronizing the ISR operations operations is the NATO Standard for ISR Library Interface. “That of coalition forces during a military strike in any of these regions. interface was initially designed just for an imagery library, but “Joint ISR is quite an important topic in our division. We it’s been expanded in the past few years for other intelligence determine operational requirements, and seek solutions through products,” said John Neumayer, deputy branch head for JISR research, concept development and experimentation, -as well as a Branch, NATO Allied Command Transformation. “If nations use number of initiatives with nations in the field of joint ISR,” said this agreed on standard, they’ll be interoperable as they store, Major General Mels de Zeeuw, assistant chief of staff for Command retrieve and use raw data, finished products and planning products and Control Deployment and Sustainability, at NATO’s Allied associated with ISR. This is just one of a family of JISR standards Command Transformation. “The challenges we face as an alliance that is managed by a group called the Joint Capabilnearly always involve interoperability … how to ity Group for ISR under the Committee of National get people to use the same language, definitions, Armament Directors.” and procedure and by that seeking opportunities to The idea of having standardized and shared syswork together.” tems plays a critical role in guiding industry efforts A DoD spokesperson, who chose to remain in synchronized ISR capabilities as well. Comanonymous, offered the following information: mon or open architecture ISR platforms, adaptable “Specific to our NATO allies, in a strategic effort modular systems and combined workflow systems to synchronize and integrate ISR operations, the are standard industry methods used to facilitate the United States is working through the Joint ISR Inisynchronization of ISR capabilities. Esri, Lockheed tiative as agreed within the Defense package at the Maj. Gen. Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman had much NATO Chicago Summit.” The DoD spokesperson Mels de Zeeuw to say concerning their own technological efforts in continued, “Efforts are ongoing to put capabilities the field of synchronized ISR operations. in place within NATO by the beginning of 2016 to enable support “Today’s ISR capabilities must support real-time operations to future NATO operations such as Operation Unified Protector using data that can be easily shared,” said Eric Westreich, defense with (at a minimum) imagery, full-motion video and synthetic command and control industry manager at Esri. “This rapid aperture radar/ground moving target indicator.” response requires us to focus not only on the data coming into an In order to enhance ISR synchronization, DoD is utilizorganization but on how to turn the data into answers. ing the skills of government, academia and industry. The DoD “Defense and intelligence organizations often have difficulty spokesperson explained this leveraging of talent and elaborated communicating different workflows to each other, so it is chalon the use of “commercially derived technologies to develop a lenging to understand and make use of each organization’s availcloud-based infrastructure with enhanced apps.” The spokesable capabilities.” person said that the purpose of this would be to “create an When asked how to overcome difficulty communicating environment which allows for access to a greater volume of usable different workflows between organizations, Westreich echoed ISR-related information available to a dynamic environment of an earlier statement by Neumayer. “Organizations can publish U.S. military, agencies and our coalition partners for better comtheir workflows and share them with other groups so they can bined joint operations.” use each other’s capabilities while maintaining a common view Concerning recent NATO operations, de Zeeuw added, “Afghanof the battlespace.” Esri provides this common view of the batistan certainly focused our efforts on synchronizing information, tlespace through a platform known as ArcGIS. ArcGIS applies capabilities and operations in the last couple of years.” The DoD geographical knowledge in order to design and manage solutions spokesperson answered in a similar vein. “Operations in Afghanion the battlefield. stan and elsewhere have demonstrated operationally effective ISR
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Carter explained that Northrop Grumman pro“Analysts use ArcGIS to gain detailed insight vides “highly capable sensor systems that have into patterns and trends, and for producing intelthe ability to multitask with many different funcligence and geospatial products,” said Westreich. tions, enabling sensors to integrate more easily and Moreover, the ArcGIS system for Mobile allows effectively with other ISR systems.” Carter then servicemembers on the ground to access intelliemphasized Northrop Grumman’s work in combingence on a wide array of mobile devices. Westreich ing workflow operations. “We have processing and explained, “ArcGIS for Server is used to orgaexploitation tools that allow ISR missions to be nize process, manage and share large volumes of performed collaboratively between different sensors imagery and LiDAR [while] ArcGIS Online is Esri’s and the data from those missions to be fused seamcloud-based solution.” lessly into intelligence products. The processing The ArcGIS platform is built on a common Eric Westreich horsepower, precision geolocation capability and informational model known as a geodatabase. This ewestreich@esri.com flexibility of Northrop Grumman’s sensor systems geodatabase is what makes ArcGIS unique. “The to adapt to new threats enables them to serve as geodatabase is the central data repository for stora ISR force multiplier for other sensors and forms ing and managing spatial data. All ArcGIS technolof intelligence.” ogy leverages the geodatabase, which contains the Boeing is another leading firm in the synchronischema for various geospatial datasets such as road zation of ISR operations. Joe Carlin, vice president networks, elevation data and satellite imagery,” of Electronic & Sensor Solutions, within Boeing’s Westreich explained. Electronic and Information Solutions Division, had NATO’s Core Geographic Service is one such much to say on the subject. “Open architectures, example of ArcGIS interoperability at work. Westcommon interface approaches and effectively comreich said that the system “is used to produce maps, mon hardware is where industry is going and clearly map services and image services, conduct geospatial where Boeing is going.” He then explained that speanalyses, and provide other geospatial data throughJim Quinn cific solutions are best served by software capabiliout the NATO Commands.” ties residing on common hardware. “Anything that Lockheed Martin is another major player in the can be done in software you want to do in software.” field of ISR synchronization. In order to confront Discussing Boeing’s work with open architecthe challenges involved in ISR synchronization, Jim ture platforms, Carlin said, “Common architectures Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems at Lockheed are things you need to plan for from the beginning; Martin, said, “Lockheed Martin applies open stanyou really have to start with an architecture that is dards and COTS wherever feasible to our systems opened and expands.” Offering greater perspective, so, that they are flexible and enhance our ability to he added the following: “I’m a believer that most introduce new capability spirals as they are modernof the cases where somebody has taken a system ized or enhanced. As important, is architecting the and said ‘I’m now going to make it open,’ it’s been open standards based data architecture and data a problem and it doesn’t really get open. [You must] distribution framework, so that actionable ISR data Trip Carter start from scratch or really fundamentally design is made available to warfighting applications that around those open techniques.” support the speed and effectiveness of command A specific example of Boeing’s work with open and control.” architecture is its Lighthouse architecture. “The When asked what makes Lockheed Martin’s Lighthouse architecture is an architecture that is technologies unique, Quinn answered, “Lockheed on maritime platforms, across various types of those Martin is focused on developing systems that are platforms, and really does afford those capabilities flexible and built for change. By that I mean we of really being software-specific solutions integrated base our systems’ architectures on open-source on a common hardware that focuses on networking commercial standards rather than using proprietary and network-enabled operability,” explained Carlin. technologies that hinder interoperability. Ultimately, as the domain of synchronized ISR “Modular architectures ease the customization of operations increases in relevance, the strategy of mission capability across echelons and deployments, Joe Carlin having standardized and shared systems remains facilitate rapid introduction of new capabilities and the same. Solutions put forward by industry leaders address many use common architectural elements to save in development and of the problems encountered by today’s coalition ISR operations. fielding costs.” New open architecture platforms, adaptable modular systems and In further deference to the theme of standardization were combined ISR workflows serve coalition forces in their ISR operathe words of Trip Carter, business development director for ISR tions throughout the battlespace. O systems Northrop Grumman Information Systems. “Standard interface and protocols between ISR systems/subsystems is important. Having a robust mission management construct that closes the loop between tasking the sensors and collection, and then For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at processes, exploits and disseminates the data into actionable intelwww.tisr-kmi.com. ligence is also key.” www.TISR-kmi.com
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ISR KIT Next-generation High-Performance High-Accuracy GNSS Module for System Integrators Trimble introduced the Ashtech MB-One Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module. The MB-One delivers highly accurate GNSS-based heading plus pitch or roll in an advanced industry standard form-factor for system integrators. Its embedded Z-Blade GNSS technology uses all available GNSS signals equally, without any constellation preference, to deliver fast and stable solutions. The MB-One is an ideal solution for adding precise positioning and heading in a wide variety of applications such as unmanned, agriculture, marine and military systems. “System integrators demand high performance, reliability and support for their positioning solutions,” said Olivier Casabianca, business development manager for the Trimble’s GNSS OEM products. “The MB-One is designed for easy integration and rugged dependability. Users can leverage the module’s Ethernet capability and easy-to-use web browser interface to quickly and cost-effectively develop their products and solutions.” The MB-One features an enhanced dual-core GNSS engine with 240 channels capable of tracking a large range of GNSS systems including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou. It utilizes over-the-air satellite corrections using L-Band hardware to achieve decimeter-level accuracy. The module is capable of receiving and decoding precise point positioning to output a highly accurate position solution that removes the need for a local base station. The Ashtech MB-One module will be available through the Trimble GNSS OEM international network of representatives and authorized dealers. Evaluation units will be available in the fourth quarter of 2013 and production units are expected to be available in the first quarter of 2014.
Specialize Software for Unmanned Systems Proxy Technologies Inc. unveiled its PROTEUS (PROxy TEchnologies Unmanned Software) during AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2013 show. The PROTEUS software, part of its Universal Distributed Management System, provides the ability to command, control and manage multiple cooperating heterogeneous vehicles from a single ground control station. Importantly, the PROTEUS solution has the capability to operate within multiple domains and can be adapted to air, land and sea platforms. Using the company’s SkyRaider Optionally Piloted Vehicle as its flight test platform, Proxy has been testing and implementing its Proxy Autonomous Control Systems (PACS) product enabling a pilot to instantaneously operate the aircraft autonomously. “Proxy is poised to offer companies a number of leading software and hardware solutions that will provide cooperative control of autonomous vehicles,” said Bob Davis, chief executive officer and president of Proxy Technologies Inc. “We are interested in partnering with large aerospace firms and aircraft leasing companies to begin converting their existing fleets of commercial aircraft to optionally piloted vehicles using our PACS product. Proxy has converted four aircraft to date using the PACS product,” added Davis.
Small, 4-Axis Stabilized, High-Definition EO Imaging System for Unstable, Moving Platforms HoodTech Vision, manufacturer of low size, weight and power stabilized imaging systems for small manned and unmanned systems, introduced a new, high-definition (HD), fouraxis stabilized EO imager designed for use on unstable, moving platforms. The system delivers 720p image quality at 30Hz frame rate. It can be housed behind an optical dome on a system weighing approximately 800 grams. This small stabilized system is ideal for high-resolution, high-magnification, daylight imaging applications.
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HoodTech Vision’s new stabilized system features 30X optical zoom, with a standard definition 640-by-480 image delivering a 0.6 degree horizontal field of view. It is paired with a dual AVS processing system that provides on-gimbal target tracking, motion de-jitter, image rotation, image enhancement and H.264 IP-video encoding. For added flexibility, the system is mechanically configurable for multiple platform requirements. The new HD EO system is a follow-on to HoodTech’s recently introduced Alticam
09EO1 imaging technology that integrates an HD sensor (on the telescope) with a spotting capability down to 0.6 degrees horizontal field of view on a 1280-by-720 pixel format globalshutter EO imager. The new payload is designed for general purpose imaging in all application areas where high zoom factor is coupled with an unstable mounting. Applications include manned-aircraft airborne mapping and surveillance, imaging from unstable masts and towers and imaging from small, commercial, remotely piloted aircraft.
www.TISR-kmi.com
Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
Cost-effective Tactical-grade GPS-aided Inertial Navigation System Lord Corporation MicroStrain Sensing Systems––a developer of embedded sensing systems for aerospace and industrial markets—has introduced its new tactical-grade GPS-Aided Inertial Navigation System (GPS/INS): 3DM-RQ-45. The 3DM-RQ1-45 provides costeffective ruggedized airborne navigation with 5 degrees/hour gyro bias stability. Additionally, the innovative MEMS architecture achieves tactical-grade performance with the smallest and lightest package in its class. The new 3DM-RQ1-45 GPS/INS is built on the MIP protocol, Lord MicroStrain’s standard inertial data architecture. With MIP, users access a robust communication standard that ensures efficient long-term development, maximum versatility and full forward compatibility.
Miniaturized Autopilot System UTC Aerospace Systems announced the release of the Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo Nano autopilot, the smallest addition to the industry standard Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo family of flight management systems. The Piccolo Nano is designed to meet the requirements of the smallest UAV in both size and price with all the capabilities and features needed by the most sophisticated UAVs. UTC Aerospace Systems is a unit of United Technologies Corp. The Piccolo Nano is a new fully compatible member of the Piccolo autopilot family in both software and feature capability. The Piccolo Nano provides a small, lightweight, flexible architecture to support the myriad of designs in small hand-launched or uniquely configured UAVs. This unenclosed, distributable autopilot system provides maximum installation flexibility to the system integrator and is a perfect fit in small UAVs where the vehicle structure provides the enclosure and the autopilot components need to be distributed within the airframe’s available space. The Piccolo Nano will be priced to enter the market in the $1,000 range, addressing the need for economy in small UAVs while maintaining a professionalgrade fully supported autopilot. www.TISR-kmi.com
“The 3DM-RQ1-45’s unique combination of performance, size and affordability makes it ideal for primary and/or secondary navigation systems, platform stabilization, antenna pointing or unmanned systems,” said Michael Robinson, manager, Sensing Systems Sales for Lord MicroStrain. “High-performance MEMS combined with rigorous calibration and sophisticated onboard estimation filtering allows Lord MicroStrain to offer tactical capabilities to markets that demand precision, but are sensitive to additional weight and integration costs. The new 3DM-RQ1-45 achieves airborne ruggedness in a miniature package that is 23 millimeters tall and weighs only 205 grams. We look forward to working with customers to implement this flexible sensing solution at leading edge of unmanned applications.” Kimberly Kayler; kkayler@constructivecommunication.com
Video Share System Allows Up to Five Operators to Receive Real-Time Video Transmissions ReconRobotics Inc. introduced the ReconRobotics Video Share system at the AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2013 conference, held August 13-15 in Washington, D.C. Video Share is designed to protect law enforcement and military personnel by distributing real-time video from Recon Scout XL or Throwbot XT reconnaissance robots to multiple operators and entry teams. The Video Share Unit (VSU) works by receiving the video signal from the robot and retransmitting it on a secure Wi-Fi network. Up to five operators can receive this reconnaissance video by using a proprietary app and a phone or tablet running either Android OS or Apple iOS. Until now, only the operator of a robot––the individual using the operator control unit (OCU)––could receive and view video transmissions. What was seen on the OCU would then have to be verbally communicated to other operators or entry teams. By using the VSU, operators can now see in real time what the robot reveals as it moves through the environment––the layout of the rooms, the location of armed subjects and the condition of hostages. This increased level of situational awareness not only protects operators from hidden threats, but also allows them to maintain their tempo of operations and instantly and collectively react to evolving situations. The VSU can receive robot video transmissions from up to 100 feet away, through walls, windows and doors, and it can retransmit the video signal another 100 feet, thereby effectively doubling the video transmission range of the robot. The VSU can be carried on an operator’s belt or in a cargo pocket, or left stationary within the operational range of the robot. “This is a significant step forward in the situational awareness capabilities of SWAT teams and dismounted troops,” said Alan Bignall, president and chief executive officer of ReconRobotics. “By instantly sharing reconnaissance video with the team, the VSU delivers an immediate tactical advantage that we expect will save many lives and enhance the success of countless missions.”
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Intelligence Seeker
Q& A
Institutionalizing Integration in a Shifting Landscape Brigadier General (Select) Michael Groen Director of Intelligence Marine Corps Brigadier General (Select) Michael S. Groen is a 1986 graduate of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich. As a junior officer, he served with Marine Air Group (MAG)-39 in Camp Pendleton, MAG-36 in Okinawa and with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU). His early experience included deployments to Central America and across the Western Pacific. Groen attended the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., graduating with Master of Science degrees in electrical engineering and applied physics, which led to an assignment as a signals intelligence and electronic warfare development and acquisition program officer at Marine Corps Systems Command. He attended the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Intelligence Officer course and was a distinguished graduate of the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. In 2000, Groen reported for duty with the 1st Marine Division as the deputy G-2. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, Groen participated in combat operations as the division’s intelligence planner. Groen was further designated as the G-2 for Task Force Tripoli, operating in north-central Iraq. He returned to Iraq with the 1st Marine Division as the division G-2, where he was a principal in the redesign of Marine Intelligence with a refocus on improving support to regimental and battalion level operations through the creation of the Tactical Fusion Center. In 2004, Groen was reassigned to U.S. European Command where he served as the chief of intelligence planning for Europe and Africa. There, he planned intelligence operations in the Balkans, Northern Iraq, Central Africa and the Trans-Sahara region. He was instrumental in transitioning intelligence processes into the newly formed Joint Intelligence Operations Center. In 2006 Groen assumed command of 3d Radio Battalion, Marine Corps Base Hawaii. During this time, the battalion conducted its first deployment to the Southern Philippines in support of Operation Enduring Freedom-Philippines and continued its support to the 31st MEU. After command, he reported to the College of Naval Warfare in Newport, R.I. While there, he was selected as the Marine Fellow in the Stockdale Group, assisting the U.S. Navy program to develop joint and operational leaders. Promoted to colonel, he graduated with distinction in June 2008. In 2008 Groen assumed command of Headquarters Battalion, 1st Marine Division in Camp Pendleton, California. In 2010, he was given the additional duties as the division’s chief of staff and the commanding officer for the 1st Marine Division (Rear). In August 2010, Groen returned to Quantico, Va., to serve under the deputy commandant for combat development and integration. There, he led the Marine Corps’ Amphibious Capabilities 16 | TISR 3.3
Working Group, which reviewed naval relationships, doctrine, concepts and capabilities. In that capacity, he also formed and served as the initial director of the Ellis Group, refining concepts for naval power projection and expeditionary operations. In 2012, Groen became the director of the Marine Corps Strategic Initiatives Group, directly supporting the commandant and senior leadership for institutional and operational issues of strategic importance. Selected for brigadier general, he was reassigned as the director of Marine Corps Intelligence in June 2013. Groen’s personal decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, the Joint Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Action Ribbon. Q: As director of intelligence for the Marine Corps, what do you consider to be your priorities? A: Over the last decade, the Marine Corps has achieved an entirely new level of integration between operations and intelligence at the tactical level. As we return to our traditional role as the nation’s crisis response force, it is imperative that we institutionalize that tight integration. We see changes in the operational environment that will make this integration even more critical. www.TISR-kmi.com
Priority one, then, is to ensure the continued combat effectiveness that we experience today. That is easy to say, but a challenge to implement, especially in fiscally constrained times. It implies we preserve our technical edge in sensors and systems. It implies we train effectively to match the way we fight. When units are in regular combat rotations, they see first-hand the role that intelligence plays on the battlefield. When those units are not engaged, they often return to ‘canned’ training scenarios that limit the interplay between operations and intelligence. We’ll work hard to ensure that realistic training environments are the norm. The best intelligence capability and the best operational capabilities in the world are severely limited if they do not train and operate as part of a smoothly integrated whole. Priority two is to ensure that we adapt our intelligence effort to the changing demands of the operating environment. It’s hard to see if you take a short-term view, but we still exist in an era of rapid and transformative change. If you use a calendar instead of a wristwatch to count the time, these trends of change become starkly clear. That will continue in a post-Afghanistan environment. Moreover, threat technology changes. The character of conflict changes also, although its fundamentally human nature does not. The types of situations we will find ourselves in change. Even our own expectations for situational awareness and decision-making support are changing rapidly. We cannot stand still in the face of this, or seek to return to a pre-9/11 world that no longer exists. For Marines, that means we must stay on the cutting edge of both technology and tactics. We need to systematically leverage both process and technical change to ensure we preserve the qualitative edge that our forces have enjoyed. A peacetime bureaucracy can work against us here. New threats and new opportunities evolve at a Moore’s law pace, but our institutional processes move a bit slower. We have work to do. Priority three is to invest in our human capital. The intelligence business is fundamentally a human one. We employ information and sensors, but it is people that matter. Nothing that happens in a secure facility makes much difference if it does not influence planning or operations. Creating that human nexus takes investment in the skillsets of modern warfare. We need intelligence Marines that are fluent in operations. We have to create career models that can accommodate long training pipelines and frequent utilization tours. Marines will have to continue to do skills training when they are in the operating forces. Our civilian analysts and systems experts have to be top-notch. In the all-volunteer force, we want to make sure that the right people continue to volunteer, and we want to make sure we create viable, rewarding careers in which they can make a difference. When we think about people, we have to recognize that not every peg is square, nor is every hole. We think that part of the answer to meeting these priorities is continuing our development into an intelligence enterprise. Thinking as an enterprise means we build the systems, the process and the people that can operate seamlessly as part of a unified effort, regardless of their location. We want to create an environment where no node in the enterprise fights alone. Every S-2, no matter how remote, benefits from the knowledge and information available to the rest of us. Our enterprise effort brings the broader capabilities of the intelligence community [IC] to the battlefield, and allows our forward units, engaging in crisis response or shaping the operating environment, to serve as sensors for the broader IC. www.TISR-kmi.com
Traditionally our limiting factor was our ability to collect data. Now the limiting factor is our ability to process, exploit and disseminate all the information we collect and turn it into something useful for our commanders. Q: What sets Marine intelligence gathering apart from the intelligence gathering of the other services? A: A great question, with some significant implications. At a fundamental level, the entirety of the information universe is available to every service, and to the broader intelligence community writlarge. What makes that information relevant, however, is how it is applied to planning and decision-making. A lot of very bright folks make strategic errors when they ignore this fact. Some will look at this information environment through their own experiential lens and make sweeping policy or system decisions that may not met the needs of other consumers. Targeting is a great example. Some approach the intelligence effort as the process by which you create precision targets for the employment of precision weapons. For many forces that is exactly right. Viewed through the lens of forces that operate in the human terrain, however, seeking to influence human behavior with tools and capabilities beyond just killing with precision requires an entirely different set of intelligence processes. The joint force needs the advantages of both. It is not the collected information that differs among the services so much as the fusion of that information into meaningful intelligence. Marine Corps missions demand forward deployed forces that cover wide regions of the globe. They have to be ready to move swiftly from one potential crisis to another. They have to be ready to hand out blankets one day, but reinforce an embassy 500 miles away the next. Our fundamental organization, the Marine air ground task force [MAGTF], is intentionally multi-domain. It has a ground element, an aviation element, a logistics element and a command element all under the charge of a single commander. Marine intelligence has to cover them all. Creating intelligence for this rapidly employable force requires a global, not just a theater orientation. The sun never sets on the Marine intelligence effort, as we support units poised to intervene around the globe. We do it by leveraging the work of the entire IC and bringing it to the tactical edge. While we benefit enormously from the analysts at the intelligence agencies, we also offer placement and access that return the favor. Our intelligence partnership with the rest of the IC is a two-way street. As we build our intelligence data systems, for example, we recognize their dual nature. Before crisis hits, the flow is mostly ‘down’ from the IC to the tactical edge. When crisis strikes, the flow immediately reverses, with Marines on the ground feeding situational awareness ‘up’ to the rest of the IC and to higher-level decision making. As Marine forces buy time for strategic decision-makers, the Marine intelligence effort contributes to the situational awareness that anchors those decisions in the reality of what is happening on the ground. At the tactical level, intelligence is oriented on supporting our Marines at the forward edge. A great example of the focus of Marine intelligence on tactical operations is the company level intelligence cells. We saw tremendous value in pushing dedicated intelligence Marines and capabilities to the company level in Iraq and Afghanistan. I think there is significant potential for pushing even more resources down to smaller tactical formations. Because we generally operate in austere expeditionary environments, our TISR 3.3 | 17
equipment needs to be robust, power-efficient, small and lightweight. Marines need equipment that can operate in ‘any clime and place,’ and is easy to use and maintain. Q: With the U.S. strategic rebalance to the Pacific, what is the role of Marine intelligence? How are you changing to meet these new challenges? A: The Pacific has long been a focus for Marines. It is where we grew up as an institution. Much of our iconic legacy was built there. It is where we innovated new ways of doing business in the Philippines, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and now in other places. While we continue to support global demands, we never actually left the Pacific. We’ve always had Marines forward deployed, both on the ground in Okinawa and at sea with our Marine expeditionary units. Today, these Marines are spread across the Pacific theater, working to shape the operating environment, build relationships of trust with our allies and training for crisis response or rapid intervention in contingencies. On a practical level, the shift to the Pacific will likely mean smaller forces spread throughout a vast geographic area conducting a broad set of missions. New platforms like the MV-22 create an effective radius of crisis response that extends for hundreds of miles. There are few places in the vast littoral that stretches from the Korean Peninsula to Africa and the Mediterranean Sea that sea-going Marines cannot get to quickly with a range of combat capabilities. That poses incredible intelligence challenges. Fastmoving crisis response forces often will outrange their own collection capabilities. This creates a demand signal for the Marine intelligence enterprise to leverage the collection capabilities of the entire joint force, integrating that information into timely and relevant intelligence. It also means that Marine forces provide special opportunities for increased situational awareness for the joint force. We are working to increase our ability to feed theater intelligence requirements, working with the other services and the Joint Intelligence Operations Center. The Pacific demands a much closer alignment of naval intelligence among Marine and Navy collection and analysis platforms. As a stakeholder, we watch carefully how the Navy continues to develop its own collection platforms and architecture. There appears to be much opportunity in unmanned systems and platforms that can operate in the maritime environment. The range of potential information requirements extends from space to sub-surface mines and obstacles, and everything in-between. Situational awareness and intelligence across the joint force is going to be the difference-maker. Finally, our ability to share information among our key allies and partners in the Pacific must necessarily expand. We have relearned a lot about coalition warfare over the last decade, especially in Afghanistan. From an intelligence perspective they have a lot to teach us. After all, it is their neighborhood. We need to be very proactive in ensuring the success of our partners and allies in this important region. Q: How is Marine Corps Intelligence adapting to the shrinking of the budget due to sequestration? A: The key to successfully navigating the current situation is to take a long-term approach. This will not be the first time that the 18 | TISR 3.3
joint force has faced a period of fiscal austerity, and I’m sure it will not be the last. Our role, like our predecessors, is to be careful stewards of taxpayer resources while ensuring that we stay aligned with the threat. That is a big challenge. In our corner, we have a well-earned reputation for being the ‘frugal force,’ and that will have to be doubly true now. In the ideal, our defense resourcing would be premised on strategy. That strategy, in turn, would be premised on the threats to our citizens, allies and interests. This all rests on a foundation of intelligence, creating the demand that we be ‘out there’ in the operating environment. Forward deployed forces and collection capabilities from across the joint force are necessary for us to protect our nation. ‘Homeland security’ takes on a whole new meaning in this globally integrated environment. Is your homeland secure if you have no markets for your global trade? Is it secure if your citizens who live and work overseas are threatened? These ideas should shape the allocation of resources and the intelligence effort that results from them. It is a false choice to talk of either a technically advanced force or one that has the capacity to operate forward to keep the peace. We clearly need a balance of both. Sequestration certainly is a game-changer. The Marine Corps is very much a ‘people’ force. The preponderance of our resources is invested in our human capital. That puts tremendous pressure on our investment accounts, limiting our ability to stay apace with the threat. Marine investment accounts have always been very lean. On the intelligence investment front, we have always practiced a ‘parasitic’ acquisition strategy, seeking to leverage the investments of other services and SOCOM first before we try to develop any unique capabilities ourselves. That will likely become even truer as we seek to work very closely with the Navy and the Army to leverage joint investments and create seamless capabilities. Even in austerity, there is room for optimism. We are standing at the doorstep of a new age, and it is almost breathtaking to think of the world of opportunity that lies at our feet. Even the clouds of fiscal austerity cannot block the rays of this sun. If we do not have resources for large material investments, then we will apply our human and intellectual capital to ‘process’ improvements. The ‘ways’ we will create actionable intelligence in the future will be at least as important as the ‘means.’ In this area, I am counting on the innovation of a generation of combat experienced Marines to help remake our analytic and dissemination enterprise. The Marine Corps intelligence community will continue to offer the best value for the American taxpayer. Q: A large number of our articles deal with the roles played by unmanned systems. How do you expect these platforms to adapt to performing their ISR role in denied airspace? A: I guess I would start by pushing back on the idea that unmanned systems should be limited to airspace. To date, I don’t think we have even scratched the surface of what robotics and unmanned autonomous systems can do. We have greatly advanced the state of the art for UAS in the last decade, but there is every bit as much of a challenge in the land and sea domains. Since Marines work best at the seams where all of the physical domains come together, we need systems that are responsive in all of them. www.TISR-kmi.com
One of our challenges is that both government and industry have had a hard time thinking about ‘cross-domain’ robots. Much of the innovation has come via selected stovepipes. We have built unmanned systems that can do existing tasks in more efficient ways. We can imagine existing tasks undertaken with reduced risk to humans. We haven’t thought as much about game-changing unmanned or autonomous systems that can fundamentally change the way we fight, breach, repair, influence, communicate, deceive, deny and even heal. Can you use unmanned systems to create nonlethal effects? How do you combine functions on a single platform? How do you extend human senses and control in a way that it feels natural to an operator? In the modern environment, we are foolish to put flesh against steel. Unmanned and autonomous tools are our best means to avoid this. We should also be careful about accepting the linear attritionist mindset that accompanies the discussion of denied terrain. In the emerging security environment, it will be as important to out-think our adversaries as it will be to out-fight them. The idea that the enemy will shoot back is hardly a new one. The equally aged idea that we should allow him the advantage of choosing the timing and location of the fight, then force our way through his prepared defenses, needs some creative updating. The compelling advantage of the UAS force is that it can use multi-domain capabilities to present a series of asymmetries against a less-nimble opponent. That means denial, deception, information operations and maneuver in space and time. While Marines understand that expeditionary capabilities are naturally suited to this fast-moving battle of wits, unmanned systems are uniquely suited to overwhelm an adversary’s situational awareness, to present him with false targets, to support information operations, to mask the main effort and to attack one domain by using another. For Marines, there is vast opportunity in the provision of battlefield sensors—autonomous or unmanned—that allow even small units to develop their situational awareness. We are tremendously excited about the RQ-21A small tactical UAS, and are eager to expand the range of payloads and sensors that we can carry aboard. We are ready for a next generation of multi-spectral unattended ground sensors; ones that can deploy autonomously, find their targets, report back from afar and reposition themselves as required. We think there is new potential to leverage things like mesh networks to turn existing ground sensors into a larger and much more effective mobile network for battlefield surveillance. We also need to ensure that the data a sensor collects can be efficiently processed and transmitted to a decision maker in a timely fashion. We think autonomous or unmanned systems can allow smaller units to have larger effects. That potentially saves money, lives and time. Q: How is the Marine Corps intelligence enterprise working with automated systems to better manage tactical data? A: We are incredibly proud of the professionals at the Marine Corps Intelligence Activity. This is our service intelligence center, and they have taken the lead on our enterprise innovation and implementation. It is one of the most cost-effective elements of the IC, having an impact much greater than its small budget would suggest. They figured out early that the challenge with enterprise is not to just digitally connect the various nodes. Connectivity is a necessary condition, but that is where the real task begins. www.TISR-kmi.com
The true value of the enterprise organization comes only when you have standardized products, data structures, training, archiving, tagging and analytical tradecraft. Where our analysts today spend about 80 percent of their time looking for relevant data and 20 percent using it, we would like to turn that on its head. We are seeking ways to bring data to the analyst, not the other way around. When we start to achieve that, it opens up new areas for advancement in analytic processes. Automated analytics, one-button tools for standardized tasks, new methods for visualization of information, ‘big data’ forecasting and predictive intelligence are where our investments in automated systems will really begin to take off. The same idea applies to our tactical data. A MAGTF generates an incredible amount of data as it operates, most of it about its own health and operating condition. From an intelligence perspective, we need to smoothly integrate what forward units sense and perceive, without asking them to submit lengthy written reports after a long day in the field. If you think about that a little more broadly, we should also be expanding those ideas to all sources of data. Automated monitoring pending equipment failure, reporting supply levels and conducting administrative actions could reduce the tail to tooth ratio. It does not make a lot of sense to have separate data systems for intelligence, operations, administration, logistics and many other functions. One data architecture with multiple applications applicable to specific war fighting functions would significantly lighten the footprint of tactical units, while reducing the number of support personnel that would be required to deploy into harm’s way. Q: Is there anything else you’d like to mention? A: It is always a good time to be a Marine. With the whole world seemingly going to heck in a hand-basket, it’s a great time to be in the intelligence business too. To work every day with men and women who are both is very satisfying. I am very optimistic about the future of our intelligence enterprise. All of our Marine Corps operating concepts rest on a solid foundation of battlefield awareness and relevant intelligence. We have generations of combat-experienced Marines who understand what is possible when operations and intelligence are tightly woven into a seamless capability. It is my job to make sure we have the wisdom to protect this capability when resources get thin. In the old days, guts and a rifle could get you through a lot of bad situations, but that came at a human cost. On the modern battlefield, understanding the enemy is the first step to outthinking him. On this battlefield, deeply rooted in the human terrain, a robust intelligence enterprise is the key enabler to achieving the right effect, in the right place, at the right time. Guts and a rifle are still required, but now we can do a better job of putting that young Marine in a position of advantage versus his opponents. We can provide Marines with the qualitative advantage that has allowed them to overcome any obstacle. We can reduce the human cost that is accrued from situational ignorance. I appreciate the innovation of industry in helping us build this enterprise vision. Be assured that your Marines enter this new age with eyes open for opportunity. We remain committed and resolute in defense of our nation. We remain … always faithful. Semper Fidelis. O TISR 3.3 | 19
Adapting UAV technologies for use in contested airspace. By Hank Hogan TISR Correspondent
In the future, it may not always be possible to fly the mostly friendly skies. Airborne vehicles in Afghanistan can often operate without worry about hostile or civilian traffic. That won’t always be the case, and this has implications for the aerial platforms used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. Consider two such ISR platforms: high altitude, long endurance and urban aircraft. Unmanned examples of both already exist; however, advances promise an increased ability to operate in less permissive airspace. For instance, missions in cities could soon benefit from swarming, a technique in which vehicles work together like ants to tackle big tasks.
The View from on High For aircraft in a contested environment, what matters will not be the operating altitude but rather the sensor and analysis capabilities of the platform, said the U.S. Air Force ISR Agency GEOINT Capabilities Chief Major Edwin Frazier. “Our success will be based on objectively distinguishing between kinetic and non-kinetic target
20 | TISR 3.3
and support personnel, although only some signatures that we truly consider inaccesof these are deployed with the aircraft. sible or denied, and those we assess are Since they are unmanned, these vehicles realistically collectible.” have no need for onboard life support sysThe ISR Agency partners with Air Comtems. Instead, weight and bat Command in conducting space can be used for senISR operations for medium- and sors, processors, commuhigh-altitude platforms. Among nications and other gear. the latter are the manned There also is another benU-2 and the long endurance efit to going unmanned. unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk. “The limits of the Cruising for extended periods human body to be at a great height brings benefits able to sustain operain terms of keeping watch on a tions in an aircraft location and its surroundings. are also removed, and “The vantage point of a that’s what allows us to high-altitude long-endurance Alfredo Ramirez start getting into the much platform not only provides the longer durations for misability to surveil a point of intersions,” said Alfredo Ramirez, director and est, but allows access to a very wide area,” chief architect of HALE (high altitude, long said Major Peter Hasley, weapons and tactics endurance) systems for Northrop Grumchief at the ISR Agency. man’s Aerospace Systems sector. Built by Northrop Grumman of West For instance, the U-2, perhaps the most Falls Church, Va., the Global Hawk has a famous manned high-altitude aircraft, has 131-foot wingspan and weighs about 32,000 an endurance maximum of about 10 hours. pounds at takeoff. It can operate up to 60,000 In contrast, the Global Hawk can stay aloft feet, has a 10,000 nautical mile range, and three times as long. Thus, unmanned syscan stay airborne for as long as 32 hours. It tems are much more efficient at keeping a requires a standard runway, fixed facilities
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spot under constant watch, at least in terms of the number of aircraft needed. Loitering at an altitude twice the height of Mt. Everest has its pluses and minuses, according to Ramirez. A positive is that more ground can be covered by sensors. However, a drawback is that the sensors must be of higher resolution and greater performance than would be needed at lower altitude. This translates into heavier and costlier optics, as well as higher pixel count visible and infrared focal plane arrays or other imaging technology. Scanning more area over a longer period of time also means that a considerable amount of data will be generated. In turn, this demands more robust communication gear capable of offloading the data, more storage onboard the vehicle and more image processing in the aircraft. The latter is particularly important in tactical situations, where analysis needs to be as close to real time as possible. When it comes to less permissive airA Heron 1 UAV with maritime patrol radar and satellite communications capabilities. [Photo courtesy of Israel Aerospace Industries] space, one tactic would be to produce vehicles “There is no real technical limican be particularly wasteful of bandwidth with low radar profiles. Northrop Grumman tation for a large-size UAV,” summed up and human attention if most of a scene is has already created the low radar observable Jacques Chemla, director of business static or if most of an environment is known X-47B, an unmanned combat air system, development for the UAV-building MALAT and mapped. for the Navy. Achieving stealth capability division of Israel Aerospace Industries. The There also are likely to be ongoing innorequires paying careful attention to aircraft company is headquartered at Israel’s Benvations related to endurance. The Orion from shape and the materials used, Ramirez said. Gurion International Airport. Manassas, Va.-based Aurora Flight Sciences Next-generation unmanned systems will “The difficulties are more on the budget was selected by the Air Force and is soon to address some of the limitations of current required to develop and the product final be operational. This unmanned aircraft can aircraft, said Bob Ruszkowski, director of price. Price of the UAV is generally related to fly for five days at a 20,000-foot altitude. UCLASS program development for Lockheed its size,” Chemla said. The endurance limit for high-altitude Martin of Bethesda, Md. The company has One other constraint is platform certificaaircraft was set by the unmanned Zephyr significant experience developing unmanned tion, he added. As is the case with cost, flight from the Hampshire, U.K.-based defense firm aerial systems of many different types and safety and reliability, requirements generally QinetiQ. Powered by the sun, the aircraft has sizes for its customers. increase with unmanned aircraft size. flown for up to two weeks at a maximum Tomorrow’s unmanned aircraft will altitude of 70,000 feet. A have to be able to operate in a modified version, the Merspectrum of potential settings. Going to Town cator, has a ground speed of Some of these environments five meters a second, or just will be anything but permisThe same lack of technical constraints over 11 miles an hour. sive airspace, and success in is not the case for the smallest class of These aircraft are light, such conditions will require unmanned vehicles, the micro- and nanowith the Zephyr tipping the advances in technology. sized UAVs that weigh a few pounds or less. scales at 117 and the Merca“Development in automaHere, the difficulty is not the cost, which tor a mere 70 pounds. That tion, bandwidth management is much less than that of larger unmanned slightness and a slow cruisand onboard processing will be aircraft. Rather the challenge is how to fit ing speed are seen as assets, key,” Ruszkowski said. sensors and communications gear into the Steven Gitlin however. In the event that Onboard processing, autoallowable payload. Fortunately, these petite something goes wrong, which could be more mated data culling and augmentation using unmanned systems are benefiting from innolikely to happen in contested airspace, there simulated contextual data are just some of vations in electronics. is less of a safety risk to anyone on the the techniques that may be used, he added. For instance, the smallest aircraft made ground from the vehicle itself. The Belgian This will help get people out of the picture by by Israel Aerospace Industries weighs a scant Air Force cited this as one reason why it is applying some intelligence to what sensors 0.6 kilograms, or 1.3 pounds. In part, it is interested in vehicles of this type for operadetect, instead of transmitting every pixel so light because advances have significantly tions over densely populated Europe. of imagery. This send-every-pixel approach reduced the weight of communications gear, www.TISR-kmi.com
TISR 3.3 | 21
the camera and other critical components. Small UAVs that weigh less than 20 pounds extend the capability for ground forces to operate autonomously in urban environments, Chemla said. Another tiny UAV example is the Nano Hummingbird from AeroVironment of Monrovia, Calif. As the name implies, the 19 gram, or half ounce, aircraft flies by flapping two wings. These allow it to hover and fly in any direction, said spokesman Steven Gitlin. Built as a proof of concept in 2011 under a contract with the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency, the aircraft carries a small color camera. It was successfully flown for up to 11 minutes. Despite its size, the vehicle can handle urban environments, even if conditions outside a building are not calm. “It can operate in some winds,” Gitlin said. The company has not yet turned the technology into a product. But, it has done so in the past with other demonstration aircraft built to satisfy a military contract. Gitlin noted that AeroVironment’s late 1990s Black Widow project formed the basis for the 14-pound Wasp III, which was adopted by the Air Force in 2007. Another example of small system comes from BCB International of Cardiff, U.K. The company’s SQ-4 RECON consists of an aerial drone that weighs less than 300 grams, or two thirds of a pound. It features a video and high-resolution still camera, as well as 10 ultrasonic sonars. Its size and sensor package means that it can be used to penetrate and search a building or narrow spaces, said Project Manager Barry Davies. Thus, it could be suitable for urban areas. The four-rotor helicopter-like aircraft offers a secure flight control system that leverages standard, commercial WiFi technology, Davies noted. “The control of the drone is done via a 2.4Ghz, 5.4Ghz 802.11 b/g/n WLAN with encryption. Video, audio and telemetry are all combined into TCP packets and transmitted over the same link.” There are technologies being developed at BCB International that will allow such small systems to gang up in swarms. The goal is to have the ground system control several drones so that they can be combined into scalable teams that can tackle big projects. An illustration of what can be done with a swarm comes out of research by Vijay Kumar, an engineering professor at the 22 | TISR 3.3
The Nano Hummingbird is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. [Photo courtesy of AeroVironment Inc.]
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He and his team have modified commercially available four-rotor remote controlled aircraft, adding processing power, sensors and other technology. The goal of the work is to better understand cooperative behavior among animals. Ants, for instance, will move a piece of food, with each ant doing some of the work. In this way, together they move an object too large for any individual ant. This collaboration is done without designating a leader and with each ant only communicating with its nearest neighbors. The researchers have shown that a swarm of unmanned aerial vehicles can assemble objects, collaboratively pick up items too heavy for an individual aircraft, fly in a changing formation through an opening, map out a building, and even play a wellknown song. Although still in basic research and development, the swarm concept has attracted attention. “We work with the Army Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research on aerial robots and swarms,” Kumar said. “Applications for law enforcement and first response are possible today.” Technology imitating a biological system could also solve problems faced by the smallest UAVs in an urban setting, said John Raquet, director of the Air Force’s Advanced Navigation Technology Center at WrightPatterson Air Force Base in Ohio. One issue
that small aircraft have is they bump into things when flying autonomously indoors. Researchers have investigated how bees travel down a hallway and found their secret, Raquet said. Bees try to keep the visual flow of left and right walls roughly equal. An algorithm like that can be used to keep aircraft from getting too close to either wall. However, vision processing can take considerable computing power, which could be in short supply on the tiniest unmanned vehicles. Another type of power, this time electrical, is consumed by communication, something a swarming approach can demand a lot of. Air Force investigators are working to solve these problems. For their projects, they often make use of commercially available quad-rotor indoor flying drones. It’s a case of exploiting consumer technology to ultimately benefit the military mission of urban ISR. Of these readily available unmanned aircraft, Raquet said, “From an algorithm development point of view, it’s very nice. They’re cheap. They cost $300. We can build our algorithms on top of them, providing a great example of leveraging commercial products.” O
For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at www.tisr-kmi.com.
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The rise of full motion video ISR and the
methods to combat the limits of bandwidth.
By Peter Buxbaum, TISR Correspondent
It is by now axiomatic that today’s warfighters,
commanders
and intelligence analysts rely on full motion video (FMV) for ISR, force protection and situational awareness. FMV has become ubiquitous in warfare—its use by U.S. forces exploded in Iraq and Afghanistan—with unmanned aircraft, ground sensors and other remote sources providing vast amounts of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data.
providers like YouTube and Netflix, and deploying optical networks to take the strain off of radio transmissions. Demand for bandwidth is likely to continue to grow, challenging military ingenuity and resources for some time to come. “Whether
it
is
the
urban
environ-
ment of Baghdad or the mountainous and compartmented
terrain
of
Afghanistan,
the
Army has encountered and overcome numerous
Video brings a key added value over
impediments to the collection and dis-
still-imagery intelligence in its ability to
semination of ISR data, ”said Tony
observe targets over time. FMV provides
Budzichowski, a program management
a capability to understand human activity
division chief within the Army’s Program
over and above the insights to be derived
Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic
from still imagery.
Warfare, and Sensors. “One such impedi-
But the use of FMV in tactical situa-
ment is the bandwidth requirements for
tions also strains the bandwidth warfighters have available to transmit data, imagery
full motion video.” Mike Monteleone
and voice communications. The U.S. mili-
Budzichowski was referring to a program to provide FMV bandwidth to forward
tary has responded by striving to provide more network
operating bases in Afghanistan. Spectrum is still at a
bandwidth, but also by employing various techniques
premium on the battlefield, noted Mike Monteleone, a
and technologies to push more data over the available
tactical networks branch chief in the Army’s Commu-
capacity. Future developments likely include the localized
nications-Electronics Research, Development and Engi-
staging of video, much as is done by commercial Internet
neering Center. “Depending on where the FMV source is
www.TISR-kmi.com
TISR 3.3 | 23
“With this improved awareness, they can take more decisive and where it is going, it may take multiple communications hops action to save lives and thwart enemy plans,” said Budzichowski. to get to its final destination,” he said. “[When it comes to] who is “To install FMV in Afghanistan, the program manager had to overgetting the data, [and] who has access to it, [that] is where bandcome constraints in bandwidth and integrate into width limitations have a huge impact.” the existing WIN-T network infrastructure to move The limitations on bandwidth highlight the massive amounts of data with minimal interrupissue of user and usage prioritization. “Everyone tions or delays in either its transmission or access.” wants to get their eyes on the video,” said MonWIN-T, or the Warfighter Information Networketelone. “You really need to think about who needs Tactical, is the Army’s tactical network. to use the FMV and in what format. Not all of the The Air Force has its own bandwidth extension video has to be high definition for all uses.” program in development, which it expects to deploy “Bandwidth constraints can be dealt with by by the end of this year. At the moment, the Air understanding what a disadvantaged user wants to Force manages bandwidth at the war fighting level. do with the data so that you can adjust the expecta“We have personnel that deconflict frequencies tion to meet the available bandwidth,” said Mike Mike Manzo and make sure that there is a separation between Manzo, director for geospatial solutions at General locations using the same frequencies,” said Troy Dynamics Advanced Information Systems. “If the McGath, chief of data link management at the Air primary mission of users is not to save lives, if they Force ISR Agency. “We also provide FMV chipouts to are doing second- and third-level exploitation, they units. The Air Force ISR Agency is the lead for commay be able to stand a degraded video signal. Those mon data link [CDL] development for the entire Air users who require real-time access because they are Force, not just the ISR community,” McGath added. trying to save lives can receive priority.” “CDL is the first tactical mile for ISR. It is the most “The issue is not necessarily a limitation of critical piece for getting ISR to the ground.” bandwidth but the prioritization of capabilities,” Air Force ISR is currently working on a mulagreed Air Force Colonel Amando Gavino, chief tiband common data link which will provide a information officer for the Air Force ISR Agency. bandwidth extension for Air Force users. The CDL “If you are delivering FMV from one sensor your Col. Amando Gavino program is designed to achieve data link interopbandwidth might be okay, but if you are receiving erability among multiple ISR collection systems video from 10 sensors simultaneously, bandwidth operated by the armed services and intelligence issues will occur.” agencies. But there is no question that the demand for “The Army is already using its CDL,” said bandwidth has outpaced the ability of the military to McGath. “Air Force users required a different wave supply new capacity. The numbers speak for themform, which is currently in development. We have selves. “Just two years ago, the average bandwidth more high-capacity requirements and we need to requirements for a typical user were 50 kilobytes twist our bandwidth differently than the Army. per second,” said Budzichowski. “Today, the requireSome test models are currently being utilized and ment is well over one megabyte per second.” we expect it to be in full development and released Prior to the installation of FMV capabilities, later this year.” most forward operating bases (FOBs) in AfghaniThe Air Force also expects to deploy technolostan did not have sufficient network infrastructure Troy McGath gies that allow network managers to dial up and dial to carry or share FMV, according to Budzichowski. down bandwidths available to specific users depending on the pri“They were using line-of-sight connectivity with radios unsuited ority of the FMV being transmitted. “We will be able to prioritize for FMV transmission, which presented several problems includwhat is important from an ISR perspective,” said Gavino. “If there ing long delays in accessing data,” he explained. “The Army’s first are five FMV streams to be downloaded and one of them has priorstep was to extend the bases’ networks to the FMV source and ity, we can dial down the bandwidth available to the four so that upgrade their infrastructure to enable them to receive or share the fifth can come down quicker and be made available to troops FMV. Once the network infrastructure was in place and working on the ground as soon as possible.” well, FMV was then moved onto that network.” Future bandwidth extensions will likely be concentrated on Each FMV location was equipped with a baseband kit comprisoptical networking, according to McGath. “Data rates are in the ing a video encoder, two routers and one uninterruptible power gigabit range on optical networks,” he said. “Data moving over supply to provide a persistent network and IP relay connection optical doesn't clog radio frequencies. That capability is the most point at each FOB. High-capacity series microwave line-of-sight cutting-edge thing we are working on.” radios with a data throughput of up to 300 megabytes per second Tradeoffs of frame rate and resolution are necessary when were installed to link FMV sites. Sites are also equipped with a working in a bandwidth constrained environment, such as in secure Voice over Internet Protocol phone and laptop for voice Afghanistan, according to Budzichowski. “To mitigate the impact communications. of these tradeoffs, we employed two different types of bandwidth,” The FOBs were also given the capability to share FMV with he said. “Low-bandwidth FMV is used to achieve situational awareadjacent FOBs and with other FOBs within a regional command. ness because the impact of frame rate and resolution to execute a This implementation has enabled combatant commanders and given task is not as significant. High-bandwidth FMV is used for soldiers to achieve improved situational awareness. 24 | TISR 3.3
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operations and exploitation at Lockheed Martin Information exploitation purposes because the impact of frame rate and resoluSystems. “The idea is consume the data where it is collected tion here is significant. Greater clarity is required to successfully so that data doesn't have to be moved around. We envision a exploit data as compared to using data for situational awareness.” cloud-based consumption model for how tactical video and video Prioritizing different FMV uses is the focus of an approach and all sorts are moved around the enterprise. A devised by Digital Results Group. “The point is the YouTube or a Netflix model is where DoD needs reliable delivery of something,” said Stephen St. to move.” Mary, the company’s executive vice president. “A Lockheed Martin Information Systems has a dismounted solider using a tablet or smartphone capability called Geoflix which can consume hunwill get something different than a commander dreds of different video feeds and then rebroadcast in an operations center because of the difference them using standard-based consumption models. in available bandwidth. The soldier may get 15 “This is a browser-based consumption model that frames per second while the commander gets the allows you to use the HTTP protocol to consume full stream.” video streams,” said Wilson. “That could work DRG’s approach is threefold. First, it federates reasonably well, but if you have to distribute video access and retrieval of FMV by synchronizing its Stephen St. Mary over larger areas you also want to look at caching metadata for situational awareness and forensic technologies so that video can be stored closer to retrieval. “That way we are moving only small bits of where it will be consumed. HTTP-based streaming data to make the video discoverable,” said St. Mary. enables on-demand and live adaptive bitrate video “We’re not moving big data sets. The goal is to keep delivery of standards-based media over regular as much data at rest as possible but on demand for HTTP connections. This approach lets customers discovery and access.” leverage cache infrastructures and provides tools The second aspect of the approach is to detect for integration of content preparation into existing the device of the network user and the availencoding workflows.” able bandwidth. “We then generate an on-demand The Motion Industry Standards Board (MISB), stream tailored to that device and the bandwidth a DoD unit within the National Geospatial-Intelthey’ve got,” said St. Mary. “That way the pipes don’t ligence Agency formulates standards for motion get clogged and the guy on the tactical edge doesn’t Tom Wilson imagery and associated metadata. “Standards are throw his device in the back of his HMMWV because really important,” said Wilson. “MISB standards he isn't getting anything off the network.” enable the discovery of FMV data and transform the The third aspect of the approach is to aid in creconsumption of FMV into an enterprise capability.” ating lightweight, bandwidth-friendly intelligence Prioritization of content and bandwidth also products based on the most relevant snippets of comes into play when it comes to the tactical collecthe video. tion of FMV on the ground. Raytheon’s MAINGATE Many of the Army’s efforts to manage bandwidth radio system, which has been deployed in theater, have been articulated as part of urgent requireenables warfighters to capture video on the move, ments emanating from operations in Iraq and such as from a vehicle on patrol and then beam that Afghanistan and have involved exploiting commerdata back to the command post. cial off-the-shelf technologies. Some of these are MAINGATE radios are able to transmit video at now being incorporated into programs of record. Karl Fuchs 10 megabits per second over UHF spectrum with “We are looking to leverage commercial technoloan effective bandwidth of 14.4 megahertz. “The prigies and open standards,” said Monteleone. “Some kfuchs@idirectgt.com mary technique we use to squeeze the data across of these leverage multicast technologies similar to the available bandwidth is to utilize a mesh network,” said George YouTube in which multiple users can access the same video on Vardakas, director for Tactical Communication Systems at Raydifferent devices and at different formats and resolutions.” theon. Mesh networks allow radios to organize themselves into ad That is an approach being advocated by more than one of the hoc networks as needed. military’s industry partners. One way that internet video provid“We can schedule more than one user to use the same freers manage data and bandwidth is to pre-stage data locally, noted quency by auto-organizing into smaller sub-networks, as long as Manzo. “Providers like Netflix and YouTube pre-stage data in they are geographically separated and won’t cause any collisions,” regions across the planet so that the video is streamed closer to Vardakas explained. “The key is we don’t have to plan these little the user,” said Manzo. “We developed thin client and thick client subnetworks. The system automatically organizes that way based versions of file location systems. The thin version allows real-time on geographical distribution and traffic load.” The system has been exploitation of the video and saves users on infrastructure, harddeployed in Afghanistan and is being used by U.S. and non-U.S. ware, back-end and sustainment costs. The thick client version is joint forces there. for the small percentage of analysts who can’t withstand any lag in Hardware capacities can also be tweaked to increase the the transmission of data because they are in mission critical posithroughput of networks. “We have made changes to modulation tions. For mission critical functions you would have to move the and coding to increase the throughput of an 18-inch effective data to the application.” aperture antenna from 500 kilobits to two megabits per sec“We are trying to treat video the way a lot of commercial ond,” said Karl Fuchs, vice president of technology at iDirect broadcasters do,” said Tom Wilson, director of integration and www.TISR-kmi.com
TISR 3.3 | 25
flying between one target and another. When we see Government Technologies. “On the horizon, highthe UAV loiter we can use an algorithm to detect the throughput satellites are being launched which will metadata from the platform and start at that point provide four to five times the throughput of today's to collect and capture something to go into a lightconstellations.” weight intelligence product right then and there.” Developments in wide-area motion imagery can Having established FMV capability at more than be instructive in how FMV bandwidth issues can 150 forward operating bases, the Army continues be negotiated. Although not strictly speaking full to make improvements based on user feedback and motion video, these persistent surveillance systems new needs. “A recent, significant enhancement actually generate more data than FMV, according to involved ensuring that users in theater understood John Marion, Executive Vice President. where the FMV capability resided and how to reach “One approach is to compress the data on John Marion a given FMV node to access video feeds,” said the aircraft or on whatever platform it is being gathered and send all compressed john.marion@logos-technologies.com Budzichowski. “Now, a user may simply click on a given node and immediately receive video from that node.” imagery over a radio data link,” said Marion. “Or, what we But bandwidth remains a looming issue. “As more data is genthink makes more sense is to add a fair amount of compuerated and disseminated and as more users look to the network to tation with the sensor to do processing there and basically transmit specific types of information, bandwidth requirements provide analysts with a product over much smaller data links. will likely increase dramatically,” said Budzichowski. “The Army is Analysts are usually looking for something specific in the persisnow analyzing future needs and their impact on bandwidth to gain tent surveillance imagery. The idea is to send them only the parts a better understanding of bandwidth requirements as balanced they need.” against video quality.” O A similar principle can be applied to FMV, according to St. Mary. DRG already assembles the equivalent of NFL highlight reals that distill eight- or 10-hour UAV missions to just a few minutes of For more information, contact TISR Editor Chris McCoy video. “It is possible to automatically identify the significant parts at chrism@kmimediagroup.com or search our online archives for related stories at of a Predator mission based on flight patterns,” he explained. “The www.tisr-kmi.com. UAV will normally orbit over its targets but fly straight when it is
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INDUSTRY INTERVIEW
Tactical ISR Technology
W. Garth Smith Co-founder and CEO MetaVR W. Garth Smith co-founded MetaVR with Richard M. Rybacki in 1997. Smith holds the position of chief executive officer of MetaVR, overseeing all corporate operations, new business development and product development strategy. MetaVR creates 3-D real-time PC-based visual systems and virtual worlds that provide the fidelity of geospecific simulation with game-quality graphics. From 1990 to 1993, Smith worked for Bolt, Beranek, and Newman (BBN) on the SIMNET project. Smith worked on the AGPT program, which was the German Army equivalent of the SIMNET technology. Smith was the least talented of all the software engineers at BBN. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from West Virginia University. Q: How is MetaVR positioned to face these steep cuts to military spending caused by sequestration? A: Increasingly, military organizations recognize the value of the simulation training environment as a way to supplant certain aspects of training that have traditionally been conducted live. Military budget cuts force a high return on training investment, resulting in more emphasis on simulation—and visuals are a key part of simulation. And we tend to have some of the lowest prices in the military simulation industry. This approach has enabled us to be in business for 15 years. With the pending budget changes, we expect to see increased sales as customers need more costeffective and sustainable products. Simulation training reduces the cost of training on real aircraft and ground vehicles. For example, it reduces costly fuel and airframe wear and tear. Often, simulation training eliminates the geographical constraint as well. By eliminating the need to travel great distances to train at a physical training site, it enables warfighters in many situations to train remotely in networked environments to learn new skills, gain accredited training hours and keep current on skills all with the goal of improving combat readiness. 28 | TISR 3.3
real ISR assets with its real-time MPEG-2 or H.264 video generation with embedded Key-Length-Value metadata using either EG 601 or MISB 104.5 standards. The result is that VRSG can generate video feeds that do not differ in format and contents from the real data feeds from autonomously manned systems. Q: Could you tell us about MetaVR’s terrain generation tools? Our customers give us direction on Virtual Reality Scene Generator [VRSG] features and enhancements to support their training needs. For example, UAS simulation training is a market our products have supported for a number of years. More recently, the need to train joint terminal attack controllers [JTAC] for close air support missions has become critical, and we have seen increased sales of VRSG as result. Last year was a record revenue year for us, and in the third quarter of this year we have surpassed all of last year’s sales. Feedback from JTAC and UAV operator trainers led us to develop two significant features that are in the latest release of VRSG: Scenario Editor and physics-based infrared simulation. Q: What UAS training platforms are currently supported by MetaVR’s visualization software? A: The U.S. Army’s Shadow Crew Trainer, and Grey Eagle, Hunter and Aerosonde trainers. Also the U.S. Army uses VRSG in Universal Mission Simulators for UAS within the Army’s training aids, devices, simulators, and simulations training suite. The simulator is the next-generation simulator in support of the Army’s new Universal Ground Control System; it incorporates multifunctional software approaches to provide UAS operators with a high-fidelity training experience for individual, crew and collective training for piloting Shadow, Gray Eagle and Hunter UAVs. We provide geographic-specific detailed terrain and entity models that are used by our customers to generate both simulated video and geo-referenced still-frame imagery. A key feature of VRSG is its ability to stimulate
A: Accurate 3-D terrain is a fundamental piece of the simulation training environment. MetaVR’s suite of terrain tools for Esri ArcGIS enables users to build a geospecific synthetic environment quickly using whatever imagery, elevation and shapefile data they have for a given region while leveraging the industry standard ArcGIS platform. Once the geospecific terrain has been built, users can then create pattern-of-life scenarios on the terrain with our new Scenario Editor tool. And they can generate an infrared profile of their terrain to suit the training conditions. Q: Can MetaVR’s visualization software expand further into the civilian UAS training market in the U.S. or abroad? A: The low cost and versatility of VRSG makes it an option for simulation applications other than military training, such as homeland security or emergency management training. Such use will likely increase as result of the natural progression of UAV use in U.S. airspace. For example, right now, students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are training with VRSG in exercises that simulate realistic payload operator situations such as a firefighter scenario, simulating civilians trapped on a mountain with encroaching flames of a forest fire. The instructor exaggerates the wind speed and direction, making it challenging for the UAV pilot to effectively navigate the aircraft, and also create a struggle by proxy for the camera operator to stay on task. Another scenario simulates a prison escape, which highlights multi-grid scanning for heat signatures at night. O
wgsmith@metavr.com www.TISR-kmi.com
November 2013 Volume 3, Issue 4
Cover and In-Depth Interview with
Stephen Kreider PEO U.S. Army IEW&S
Exclusive interview with Dyke Weatherington
Dyke Weatherington is the director, Unmanned Warfare & Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance, Strategic and Tactical Systems in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics and the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition.
Features Distributed Common Ground System-Army
Unattended Ground Sensors
The DCGS-A is the Army’s primary means of processing and disseminating ISR information. PM DCGS-A explains this system in an exclusive report.
Modern unattended ground sensors automatically detect the presence of persons or vehicles and transmit information to those who need it in the field.
Data Storage
Multispectral Imaging
The need to store vast sums of data is a feature of the modern battlespace, and the technology for storing this data is advancing.
The ability to detect specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum allows modern ISR operators a plethora of intelligence data.
CFBLNet
The Combined Federated Battle Laboratories Network (CFBLNet) provides agile turnkey C4ISR R&D solutions to DoD.
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