Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030 - Federation of ...

UAS ROADMAP 2005
systems domain to provide the advanced interoperable systems that future warfighting concepts demand.
The JAUS is currently in transition to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) under their Aerospace
Council. This transition will provide the critical linkage between government and industry to insure that
future military unmanned systems are able to capitalize on the innovation of industry while maintaining
military interoperability requirements. NUSE 2 was initiated in FY2004 to focus resources in academia,
industry, and the government to develop a national robotic experimentation infrastructure focused on
creating standards for robotics experimentation, involving users in early hardware development, and
creating modeling and simulations necessary to validate design concepts and accelerate programs. The
Critical Technology Matrix was developed and is maintained to provide a consistent and current message
to robotics technology developers. Its purpose is to facilitate the dialog between the JRP and the
technology base. It will ensure that the JRP is positioned to assess and transition mature technologies and
is able to influence the investment focus of the technology base. Each of these efforts is undertaken with
the objective to support the Service transformation plans and provide the warfighting capabilities of
tomorrow.
For a number of years, the goal of the JRP has been to develop a diverse family of UGVs and to foster
Service initiatives in ground vehicle robotics to meet evolving requirements for greater mission diversity
and increasingly more autonomous control architectures, which can and will include UA in networked
architectures (see Figures J-3 and J-4). This goal is being realized not only through the operational
employment of UGVs, but also through a consensus that the structure and operations of future forces will
require a diverse set of UGVs working collaboratively with UA and other unmanned systems. This
consensus has received concrete expression in the generation of UGV requirements, the increased Service
investment in UGV development and procurement, and the increased investment in ground vehicle
robotic technology being made by DoD labs and research institutions.
Work to date suggests that the future UGV family will vary in size, operational uses, and modes of
control:
� Size will vary from very large (the Abrams Panther mine proofing system and the Automated
Ordnance Excavator), through large (ARTS and various bulldozers), through medium (Mobile
Detection Assessment Response System-Expeditionary (MDARS-E), Mini-Flail, Gladiator), to small
man-portable robotic systems (EOD Device MTRS, Omni-Directional Inspection System (ODIS),
and others).
A variety of potential UGV applications to land combat operations can increase mission performance,
combat effectiveness, and personnel safety. These include:
� Detection, neutralization, and breaching of minefields and other obstacles
� Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition (RSTA) UXO
� UXO clearance
� EOD
� Force protection
� Physical security
� Logistics
� Firefighting
� Urban warfare
� Weapons employment
� Contaminated area operations/denied areas
� Peacetime applications include the use of small, man-portable systems for earthquake search and
rescue and law enforcement operations
APPENDIX J – UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLES
Page J-6