By David McNally, ARL Public Affairs
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command met with Army Research Laboratory officials Sept. 8, 2016, at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
Acting ARL Director Dr. Philip Perconti briefed Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins about the lab’s science and technology initiatives on the general’s first visit since assuming command of RDECOM Aug. 9.
Researchers and engineers showcased the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle, or JTARV. The rectangular-shaped quadcopter, also known as the hoverbike, has generated a lot of interest since Army researchers imagined a distant future where Soldiers order resupply and an unmanned aerial vehicle appears minutes later.
In 2013, 60 percent of U.S. combat causalities were related to convoy resupply.
“Convoy resupply involves having a route clearance package, which means more vehicles,” said Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Guenther, an enlisted advisor at the ARL Weapons and Materials Research Directorate. “Those need to be coordinated in advance. This negates the need for all that. Basically what this does is give us speed and agility on the battlefield.”
Researchers see a future JTARV flying low to the ground or at thousands of feet at speeds of 60 miles per hour or more. With a payload capacity of up to 300 pounds, the vehicle could provide vital resupply at short ranges.
Army researcher Tim Vong told the general, “Anywhere on the battlefield, Soldiers can potentially get resupplied in less than 30 minutes.” Vong, associate chief of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory’s Protection Division, likened the concept to “Amazon on the battlefield.”
“We want to have options like that,” Vong said.
While the current prototype is electric, researchers are looking at a hybrid propulsion system that may dramatically increase range.
“We’re exploring increasing payload capacity to 800 pounds and extending the range up to 125 miles,” Vong said. “We’re also looking to integrate advanced intelligent navigation and mission planning. We’re looking to end up with a modular, stable platform that can be used for even more dynamic and challenging missions.”
Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins (left), commanding general of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, learns about a prototype version of the Joint Tactical Aerial Resupply Vehicle, or JTARV, from Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Guenther (right), an enlisted advisor at the ARL Weapons and Materials Research Directorate during a Sept. 8, 2016 visit at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. (Photo Credit: Conrad Johnson, RDECOM)
The laboratory began exploring the JTARV concept in the summer of 2014. They discovered a manufacturer, Malloy Aeronautics, and a systems integrator, SURVICE. The laboratory entered into a contract and quickly moved from concept to full-scale prototypes.
ARL transferred the program to another RDECOM organization, U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center at Picatinny, New Jersey, earlier this year; however, the lab still serves as subject matter experts on aeromechanics, assessment, analysis, propulsion, intelligence and controls and materials and structures.
“We’re taking a spiral approach,” Vong said. “We’re looking at adding sensors for obstacle avoidance and building a semi-autonomous capability. This will help the craft to avoid obstacles like powerlines, buildings, or trees, he said. It will also allow the vehicle to operate in degraded visual environments.”
In June 2016, the U.S. Marine Corps joined the program to make it a joint effort.
“I’m very impressed,” Wins said. “It’s my first opportunity to come out to the Army Research Lab. As the new commander, I’m just getting around to all the [Research, Development and Engineering Centers] and the labs.”
The general specifically wanted to be briefed on the JTARV.
“I’m hearing a lot about it,” he said. “I wanted to see what it was all about. It demonstrates to me the high quality of the workforce,” he said. “It also shows what our people are doing and how they’re thinking about the problem of how the Army will fight in the future.”
In addition to many other industry, government and academic partners, the JTARV project is teaming with the Office of Naval Research and Near Earth Autonomy, a company with many employees associated with Carnegie Mellon University, to demonstrate full autonomy in near future.
The general said he plans to make more visits with scientists and engineers across the command in the near future.
“I am interested in really getting an understanding of how this command works, how this command provides support to the operator and how we can convey that message to the Army — that we are focused on the priorities of the Army…that we’re focused on delivering capabilities to the Army that help the future force,” he said.
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