USD R&E Unmanned Aerial Systems Assured Navigation
Challenge ended
Description
The Assured Navigation project is designed to integrate celestial navigation, visual navigation, and Magnetic Navigation sensors on Class II unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Overall Objective
The Assured Navigation project will fuse the capability of celestial navigation, visual navigation, and multi- GNSS receivers to ensure Class II UAS can continue mission sets in GPS denied environments. The project will integrate the three technologies into one platform with size, weight, and power (SWaP) parameters in mind. The capability will be designed as a parallel architecture to current OUSD (R&E) P&E UAS projects allowing for high congruency between operational components and required outcomes. The project sources lightweight commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) sensors and receivers to be configured for low-cost UAS: RHEA will provide and install the celestial navigation sensors. Q-CTRL will provide the Magnetic Navigation Sensors Vermeer will provide and install the visual navigation. Viavi will supply the multi-GNSS receivers. NAVSYS will provide and install the operating software. The fielding of such navigation capabilities will be the first of its kind for Class II UAS, providing new advantages to the warfighter by allowing for multiple PNT inputs to inform the navigation board of a Class II UAS.
Problem Statement
The National Defense Strategy, the DoD Electronic Spectrum Superiority Strategy, and the DoD Joint All Domain Command & Control Strategy state Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (APNT) point to the needed capability of enabling continued military operations under GPS disrupted and denied environments. The interlinked capability will be evaluated on seven Class II UASs selected by the OUSD (R&E) Prototyping and Experimentation (P&E) Assessments Office. The final product will provide DoD stakeholders and acquisition program offices with the validation needed to make decisions about Assured Navigation on Class II UAS. At the conclusion of the project, the DoD stakeholders and program offices will have the testing and evaluation needed data needed to make decisions about the use of the Assured Navigation capability on Class II UASs. The project is aimed to align with the Naval Air Systems Command Program Management Office for Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems, as well as the OUSD (R&E) P&E UAS projects currently aligned with the Break Glass portfolio.