A drone directed by one or more Soldiers through uncontested skies is a thing of the past. Army aviation is developing collaborative and intelligent systems for manned and unmanned fleets in contested airspace.
by Mr. Kevin Kee F 106 Army AL&T Magazine
uture warfare will present challenges to Army aviation assets not seen since the contested airspace of World War II. Communication, naviga- tion and command-and-control systems will be degraded and jammed, and aircraft will encounter air defense threats with new capabilities.
While sobering, these challenges offer an opportunity to leverage autonomy and teaming in both manned and unmanned aircraft.
Army aviation uses a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) capability first fielded in 2009. Tis capability provides full-motion video in an AH-64E Apache cockpit from an RQ-7 Shadow or MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It also offers multiple levels of control of the UAS, from the ability to view and control the electro-optic payload and laser designator to remotely controlling the vehicle’s flight. Tese systems allow the MUM-T operator to identify and fix the laser designator at targets, allowing HELLFIRE and other smart missiles to guide to and destroy the target. MUM-T is enabled by the Mini-Tactical Com- mon Data Link, which transmits UAS or aircraft sensor video to a ground or airborne One System Remote Video Terminal. With this capability, UAS can provide reconnaissance, targeting and security to an Army brigade.
