Ship-based UAV Recovery System (SURS)
Launch and Recovery of Manned and Unmanned Vehicles from Marine Platforms 2010 Symposium
March 8-9, 2010
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Problem Statement
• Navy wants to base Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV’s) off of ships for a variety of missions
• Needs method to recover UAV’s onto ships
• Compatible with future ship operations – high tempo, highly autonomous, low manpower required
Baseline Technology: Net-based recovery.Manpower-intensive, Risks damage to UAV.Not scalable to high-tempo operations
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Ship-based UAV Recovery System (SURS)
• Tailhook-based recovery• Compatible with fully
autonomous operation• Addresses large aircraft, to
350 lb GTOW
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Ship-based UAV Recovery System (SURS)
• Fixed-wing UAV’s• 100-350 lb
– Examples: Shadow, Pioneer• Tailhook-based recovery• Small-deck Navy ships, e.g. LCS-
class• Compatible with fully autonomous
operation• Recovers across width of deck• Occurs while ship underway• Sea states targeted to SS 5• Minimal ship design impact• Modular and stowable
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Phase II Base Project
Milestone TRLDate
Completed
System top-level design complete 2 7/07
Detail design and fabrication complete 3 7/08
Key subsystems tested:
Arrestor, recovery cart, braking system4 9/08
Mock recovery tests with integrated system completed 5 10/08
Ground-based recovery tests with aircraft completed
6 2/09
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• Radio controlled aircraft (163 lb; 42 kts ground speed)
• Two recovery attempts back-to-back
– Both recoveries successful
– No visible damage to aircraft or cart
Proprietary
Status: 1/18/09 Recovery Tests
March 8-9, 2010 7
(recovery video)
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• Good agreement between simulation and actual
• Arrest force gradually rises (400 to 520 lbs approx)
• Max decel ~ 3.3 g’s
• Demonstrated recovery consistent with a arrest deceleration slightly in excess of 3 g’s.
• Pioneer at 68 knots can be arrested in 40 ft at 5 g’s decel
Proprietary
Modeling and Analysis
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Milestones – Option Phase
SBIR Option Phase
POP 6/9/09 – 6/8/10
Hardware upgrade
• Reliability, safety improvements
• Hardware for rapid reset (target 10 min manual)
Ground tests I
• RC aircraft
• 350 lb @ 68 knots
Ground tests II
• Viking 100 UAV
• 150 lb
• autonomous recovery
At-sea tests II
• Viking 100 UAV
•150 lb
• autonomous recovery
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Types of Partners Sought
• Partners:– NAVSEA/NAVAIR program
managers – Ship systems designers,
integrators– Manufacturers– UAV / autonomous guidance
vendors• License technology• Help fund remaining development
• Benefits for industry partners:– Helping to address compelling need of
US Navy– Strong near-term volume potential
(100’s of units or >)– Long-term role onboard Navy ships
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U-BASE
• Navy Phase I STTR• Ground-up system for automated launch, recovery and refuel of Tier
II UAV’s
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5
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Information
Navy technical monitor:
Mr. Alan SchwartzNaval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division(301) 227-4316 (voice)[email protected]
Infoscitex contact:
Mr. Will Hafer303 Bear Hill RoadWaltham, MA 2451www.infoscitex.com
781.890.1338 [email protected]