Figure 2-6: HAE UAV CONOPS
The High Altitude Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HAE UAV) ACTD is developing and will demonstrate a significant, new military surveillance and reconnaissance capability. The program focuses on providing exploitable digital imagery to the warfighter in near-real-time. The ACTD will demonstrate the military utility of high altitude surveillance and reconnaissance conducted by an unmanned air vehicle with a rigidly constrained unit price. The program is supported by the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office (DARO).
Overview
Operational theater commanders, Joint Force/Joint Force Component Commanders, and the on-scene warfighters must have a flexible capability for near-real-time reconnaissance information. Collection occurs at extended ranges and durations in all-weather conditions and can occur during day or night operations in active threat environments, emerging crisis areas, and peacetime operations. Joint Force/Joint Force Component Commanders and CINCs share the need for a highly responsive, unmanned, long range/endurance, high resolution, reconnaissance capability to complement or supplement other reconnaissance assets in order to support the National Command Authority (NCA). National assets cannot provide long dwell and wide area coverage. Existing theater airborne assets are limited by endurance, force structure, and access to denied airspace. Ground based systems cannot operate in denied and/or hostile areas without risking personnel casualties or capture. No existing system is capable of providing continuous, high altitude, long range/endurance, all-weather, wide area coverage of worldwide targets with geolocation accuracy sufficient to support precision targeting. The HAE UAV systems will address these deficiencies.
Specific HAE UAV ACTD objectives are 1) to address, to the greatest extent possible, the military high altitude, endurance, unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance/surveillance need, at an air vehicle Unit Fixed Price (UFP) of $10M (FY94), and 2) to validate a new way of doing acquisition for the Global Hawk HAE UAV.
Concept and Technical Approach
The HAE UAV ACTD consists of two performance optimized air vehicle versions with a common ground segment capable of controlling either air vehicle type: Global Hawk (a.k.a. Tier II+) and DarkStar (a.k.a. Tier III-). Global Hawk is a conventional air vehicle designed for reliable, long endurance, high altitude, standoff image collection capabilities. It is designed to operate in low-to-moderate air defense threat environments with the ability to fly above, stand-off, and look into high threat areas. DarkStar is a low observable HAE UAV version that is a highly stealthy, survivable reconnaissance asset capable of operating in high air defense threat situations where assured coverage is more important than range and endurance. This dual approach will provide a flexible, technical, and operational basis for determining the optimum cost effective mix of HAE UAV types. Both air vehicle types will be optimized to ensure a $10M (FY94) UFP during production following the ACTD.
The common ground segment consists of a Launch and Recovery Element (LRE), a Mission Control Element (MCE), and associated communications. The LRE prepares, launches, and recovers the air vehicle. The MCE plans and executes the mission, dynamically retasks the air vehicle, including the sensors, processes, and stores and/or disseminates the data as required. Exploitation occurs through existing and planned DoD systems/installations. The HAE UAV system will be compliant with the Common Imagery Ground/Surface System Standard (CIG/SS).
At the end of the first phase of the HAE UAV ACTD, the user community will have as a baseline two Global Hawk HAE UAVs, two ground stations (one developmental unit and one demonstration unit), and four DarkStar HAE UAVs. An additional eight HAE UAV demonstration units will be available in 1998-1999 at the end of Phase III. The mix of Global Hawks and DarkStars available in 1998-1999 will be determined by program status, results, and user inputs. There will be a total of 14 HAE UAVs and three ground stations as residual assets, assuming no losses during the tests and demonstrations. In addition, the user community will receive a pool of approximately 200 trained personnel (military and contractor), a final CONOPS document, and a clear understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the HAE UAVs.
The general concept of operations for each type of HAE UAV is shown in Figure 2-6. The HAE UAV systems provide a rapid response, world-wide coverage for reconnaissance needs under a broad range of real world scenarios from pre-crisis conditions into hostility and through post-war treaty surveillance requirements. The HAE UAV systems complement each other by providing wide area search and spot mode capability in high and low-to-moderate air defense threat areas producing releasable, high resolution digital imagery, transmitted in near-real-time to operational theater commanders. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) data is transmitted to current and planned image exploitation and dissemination systems (i.e., Joint Services Imagery Processing System/Joint Services Imagery Processing System (U.S. Navy) (JSIPS/JSIPS(N)), Contingency Airborne Reconnaissance System (CARS), Modernized Intelligence Exploitation System (MIES), Joint Intelligence Centers (JICs), and the National Photographic Interpretation Center (NPIC)) to provide battlefield situational awareness and near-real-time intelligence and targeting information. These capabilities provide commanders with accurate, timely information on enemy terrain, infrastructure, force concentrations, offensive and defensive positions, deception postures, and combat assessments necessary for planning theater campaigns and major operations. This potential allows for the rapid targeting cycle to meet the challenges presented by a mobile enemy. The bottom line is that the HAE UAV systems provide critical, tactical, wide area reconnaissance/surveillance support directly to the warfighter in all phases of war and in all threat environments.
Figure 2-6: HAE UAV CONOPS
The technologies used in Global Hawk and DarkStar have been proven effective and are increasingly affordable. Both programs emphasize the use of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components and technologies as driven by the $10M (FY94) unit fly away price. A major factor in achieving this requirement is substituting commercial manufacturing technologies and specifications as opposed to military standards and regulations. The automatic flight controls allow untethered operations beyond line-of-sight. An overall Global Hawk endurance of greater than 40 hours will be reached with the ability to loiter in a mission area for 24 hours at a range of 3,000 nautical miles. The endurance goal will be reached by using a commercial jet engine and exceptional aerodynamic design. The sensors provide the required resolution while remaining low in cost. Together the SAR and EO/IR sensors guarantee all-weather coverage, both day and night. In addition, over 10 gigaflops of processing performance is included on the platforms to reach the real-time performance goal. The communications systems are state-of-the-art and the wide band satellite links provide rapid digital imagery dissemination to receivers within the satellite footprint. The use of low observable technology will make the DarkStar very survivable in a high threat environment. These technologies are integrated in a commercial manufacturing process that ensures reliable quality control.
FY95 Accomplishments
FY95 was a very productive year for the HAE UAV ACTD. For Global Hawk, 1) the Preliminary System Specification was completed, 2) the single Phase II system development agreements were selected and awarded, and 3) the engineering development leading to the Phase II Design Review was conducted. For DarkStar, the team 1) completed all tooling; 2) completed design and fabrication of one DarkStar developmental UAV unit; 3) completed system integration and ground testing; 4) conducted flight test planning and completed the DarkStar #1 flight test readiness review; and 5) designed, developed, and integrated the processing and display system (PDS). For the Ground Segment, the team 1) developed the preliminary System Specification; 2) commenced Ground Segment development leading to Phase II Initial Design Review; 3) performed Global Hawk and DarkStar government support, studies, and related tasks; and 4) developed Global Hawk and DarkStar System Simulation and CONOPS.
FY96 Plans
Future plans for FY96 for each of the primary elements of this ACTD have been outlined. For Global Hawk, FY96 plans are to 1) complete the Phase II Final Design Review, 2) fabricate two developmental Global Hawk units, 3) commence the first Global Hawk system integration without sensor payload, and 4) initiate flight test preparation. For DarkStar, FY96 plans are to 1) continue system integration and conduct the Phase II DarkStar flight test, 2) complete and test EO and SAR payloads, 3) complete integration and initial flight test of DarkStar #2, 4) perform additional testing and technical demonstrations, 5) begin development of DarkStars #3 and #4, and 6) procure additional testing and technical demonstration spares. For the Ground Segment, the FY96 plans are to 1) complete the Phase II Final Design Review; 2) fabricate one Phase II Ground Segment; 3) commence Ground Segment Integration; 4) commence DarkStar Ground Segment Capability Development; 5) initiate Global Hawk System Performance Test Preparation; 6) perform Global Hawk and DarkStar government support, studies, and related tasks; and 7) develop Global Hawk and DarkStar System Simulations and Scenarios.
FY97 Plans
The FY97 plans for the HAE UAV ACTD are projected for each of the three primary elements. For Global Hawk, the FY97 plans are to 1) finish fabrication of the second Global Hawk air vehicle (A/V) system; 2) complete the second Global Hawk system integration and test; 3) conduct flight test readiness reviews; 4) commence the Phase II flight and system performance test, including SAR/EO/IR and communication payload components; 5) conduct production readiness review; 6) award the Phase III Agreement for up to eight demonstration HAE UAVs; 7) initiate Phase III long lead procurement for demonstration HAE UAVs; 8) procure engineering spares and provide training for upcoming ACTD field demonstrations; and 9) commence additional payload capability development. For DarkStar, the FY97 plans are to 1) complete development of DarkStars #3 and #4, 2) complete the Phase IIB spare buys, 3) provide Phase III Field Support, 4) perform additional technical demonstrations, and 5) conduct survivability testing. For the Ground Segment, the FY97 plans are to 1) complete and test one developmental Ground Segment, 2) conduct the Ground Segment Flight Readiness Review, 3) continue development of the DarkStar UAV Ground Segment Capability, 4) conduct Ground Segment Tests, 5) award the Phase III Agreement for two Phase II demonstration Ground Segments, 6) initiate the Phase III Ground Segment builds, 7) conduct DarkStar UAV limited military field exercises, 8) perform Global Hawk and DarkStar Phase II government support, studies, and related tasks, 9) perform test and evaluation of government flight test tasks, 10) perform Global Hawk and DarkStar government support, studies, and related tasks, and 11) develop Global Hawk and DarkStar system simulations and scenarios.
The HAE UAV ACTD is on track and a schedule is provided (Figure 2-7). As shown, Global Hawk and DarkStar are both in Phase II with the DarkStar approximately one year ahead of the Global Hawk.
Figure 2-7: HAE UAV Schedule
DARPA is the Executive Agent for HAE UAV Program Phases I and II. A U.S. Air Force lead Joint Program Office will execute Phase III. The DARPA Director, as the executing agent, designated Mr. Charles Heber, the HAE UAV JPO Program Director and Colonel Douglas Carlson, U.S. Air Force and Captain Timothy Hallihan, U.S. Navy, as Deputy Program Directors. USACOM is the lead CINC for the ACTD. Key HAE UAV ACTD participants include DARPA, DARO, U.S. Navy, USA, U.S. Air Force, and NSA. A continuing series of user conferences are held every six months to ascertain user's perspectives and provide insight into operational system characteristics.
HAE UAV points of contact are listed below.
| AT Staff | Service/Agency POC | User Sponsor |
| Lt Col Don Blackwelder (703) 614-0193 | Mr. Chuck Heber DARPA/TTO (703) 524-5199 | LCDR Jim Ham USACOM/J-22 (804) 444-6393 Maj Ed Barnette |