Naval Air Systems Command issued a request for information today for a vertical takeoff and landing small unmanned aircraft system (VTOL sUAS).
According to the notice, Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons wants industry input to identify a VTOL sUAS to be used as an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platform for the Marine Corps. Such a system must be capable of performing in all environmental conditions in day and night and provide real-time, full-motion video via electro-optical and/or infrared sensors. Additionally, an aircraft under this program must be capable of autonomous or safe, manual vertical launch with minimum support equipment from a small or confined area, according to the notice.
The notice provided a specific list of desired characteristics:
- Vertical takeoff and landing
- Battery powered
- Lightweight, man-portable, total system weight (including air vehicle and ground control station (GCS)) of 20 pounds or less
- Minimum range of 1 kilometer
- Minimum endurance of 30 minutes
- Adequate maturity to be fielded immediately
The notice also lists a number of questions for which contractors must provide details. Among them, the notice asks:
- What safety features (i.e., lost link, lost GPS) are built into the system?
- How and where is the data (video, pictures and flight logs) stored?
- What mapping software does the system use (Google Maps, FalconView, open source, etc.), and does it have Digital Terrain Elevation Data?
- Does the system use standard Department of Defense mapping and imagery?
- How does the GCS communicate with the air vehicle? Describe the data link used, including waveform, operational frequency band, analog or digital, and encryption capabilities.
- Does the system use Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS?
- Is the system capable of navigation without GPS?
- Is the system capable of non-GPS operation indoors and/or heavily forested areas?
- What payloads are currently available, in development and planned?
Mark Pomerleau is a reporter for C4ISRNET, covering information warfare and cyberspace.
