1. RPA / UAS support to Environmental Monitoring
LtCol Peter “Pepe” LeHew
AF/A2Q RPA Innovations
4 Feb 2011

2. Overview
USAF RPA 101
The Triads
Sample Missions
Lessons Learned

3. The UAS Family of Systems
LOW CAPABILITY RANGE/ENDURANCE/PAYLOAD HIGH CAPABILITY
MULTI-MISSION
MICRO
NANO
MULTI-ROLE / MULTI-SENSOR
MANPORTABLE
Mid-High Altitude UAS (Theater)
Small UAS (Tactical)
MQ-1 Predator
RAVEN B
Scan Eagle
TIER II
STUAS
WASP III
BATMAV
LETHAL SUAS
MQ-9 Reaper
Under Development
EXPENDABLE - ISR
EXPENDABLE - LETHAL
RQ-4 Global Hawk
RECOVERABLE - ISR
AIR-LAUNCHED (ALUAS)
Under Development
SUAS Operators
Rated UAS Aviators

4. Pieces of the RPA Mission
Operations Manning
Maintenance Manning
Aircraft
These needs are similar to those for manned aircraft
This is required for Recon missions
Intelligence Exploitation ?
These needs are unique to remotely piloted aircraft
Ground Control Station
Communications Infrastructure & Bandwidth
Launch and Recovery Element
Squadron Operations Center
Mission

5. What makes RPA unique
Old “Dull, Dirty and Dangerous” mantra still valid for environment missions
Turbulence
Man Made disasters (CBRNE)
Endurance
1 G, Zero Knot cockpit with land based comm nodes
The Ground control station can provide distributed sensor data capability (streaming Video/sensor data, aircraft telemetry data (winds, outside air temp, PA, etc)
Extended crew options not limited by aircraft size
Remote Split Operations for smaller deployed footprint
Most are not as tolerant of adverse weather as manned assets

6. Who Where What Remember the Triads The RPA Crew Exploiters
Supported Unit
Voice
Aircraft
Data
GCS
What
Video
SOC
GCS = Ground Control Station
SOC – Squadron Operations Center

7. UASs in Civil Service
First operational missions of RQ-4 Global Hawk were in support of civil authorities
Closed critical info gaps during California Wildfires
RQ-4 infrared imagery highlighted unknown fire areas & fire lines
Authorities retasked the Global Hawk as needs arose
DHS (CBP) deployed an MQ-9 during Hurricane Gustav to support response and recovery efforts via streaming video
“Firefighters dynamically re-located based on imagery products” (AFNORTH/CC)

8. Haiti’s First Responder ROVER - Eagle Vision - FalconView

9. ROVER and California Fires
ROVER Video posted NORTHCOM website
ROVER Team
FalconView Training for
State Fire Chief
Fire Fighter (Don Green) embedded with
AFCSO Team

10. Lesson Learned = PLAN AHEAD
Airspace Access
Communication details
C2 link, ROVER freqs, ATC, audio comm, encrypted?
Getting the data (Sensor data, Aircraft wx telemetry)
ROVER
Network/ terrestrial options
Exploiting the data - Who, how, where, what
Training – CONOPs, tactics, terminology, limitations
Legal – Title 10 vs 32, Posse Comitatus, Intel vs SA
Prepare – equipment, websites, inject nodes, checklists

11. Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ….Henry Ford

12. Questions ???

13. Backup Slides Current RPA Snapshot Remote-Split Operations
Operations Center
Ground Control Station GUI
USAF RPA Specifications
Ongoing RPA Enhancements
Small Tactical UAS
Wide Area Airborne Surveillance (WAAS)

14. Ramping to 65 Predator and Reaper and 5 Global Hawk CAPs by FY13
Current RPA Snapshot
MQ-1 Predator
Objective Force: 185
> 632k flight hours
28 CAPs (flown from CONUS)
78 aircraft deployed
138,404 combat hours in 2008
~180,000 combat hours in 2009
MQ-9 Reaper
Objective Force: 319
> 74k flight hours
12 CAPs (flown from CONUS)
19 aircraft deployed
12, 770 combat hours in 2008
~30,960 combat hours in 2009
1st sortie Sep 07
Fielded over 1 year early
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Objective Force: 77
> 35k flight hours
1 CAP (flown from CONUS)
3 aircraft deployed
6,544 combat hours in FY 2009
Helping Navy with their system
Ramping to 65 Predator and Reaper and 5 Global Hawk CAPs by FY13

15. Remote-Split Operations
Ku Satellite
Nellis AFB
In Theater
GCS
Fiber Optics
PPSL
LOS Only
LMA – Link Manager Assembly – the satellite “modem”
ATM – Asynchronous Transfer Mode
DATMS – DISN ATM System
DISN – Defense Information System Network
Ops Ctr
Predator Video Network
Mission Control Element
Launch & Recovery Element

16. Operations Supervisor
Operations Center
How the Missions are Managed:
Operations Center
Manages sortie generation and crew assignment
Provides msn comm and situational awareness (SA) to mission crews
Distributes video and tactical data link tracks
Provides weather and intel support to msns
Supports aircraft emergencies and msn retaskings
Air Crew
Air Crew
Air Crew
Air Crew
DCGS
Army TOC
DCGS
Marine TOC
DCGS
SOF TOC
DCGS
SOF TOC
Msn Coord
Msn Coord
Msn Coord
Msn Coord
Weather
Operations Supervisor
Senior Intel Manager
CAOC
LRE

17. Ground Control Station GUI

18. USAF RPA Specifications
MQ-1B Predator
MQ-9 Reaper
RQ-4 Global Hawk (Blk 10)
Primary Contractor
General Atomics
Northrop Grumman
Max T.O. Weight
2,550 lbs
10,500 lbs
26,750 lbs
Payload (Internal)
450 lbs
850 lbs
2,000 lbs
Payload (External)
300 lbs
3,000 lbs
N/A
- Inboard Wing Station
1,500 lbs
- Middle Wing Station
650 lbs
- Outboard Wing Station
150 lbs
Total Payload
750 lbs
3,850 lbs
EO/IR Imagery
Full Motion Video
Hi Resolution Stills
SAR
Yes
SIGINT No
Weaponization
AGM-114 Hellfire
AGM-114; GBU-12
Cruise Airspeed
80 KTAS
225 KTAS
350 KTAS
Endurance
>24 hrs clean, 22 SCL
24 hrs clean, 16 SCL
>30 hrs
Max Altitude
25,000 ft
50,000 ft
65,000 ft
Data Links
C-Band / Ku-Band
UHF / X-Band CDL / Ku-Band
Navigation System
GPS / INS

19. Ongoing RPA Enhancements
MQ-1 Predator
Encrypted communications links
Secure RVT (portable LOS video terminals)
Enhanced Target Location Accuracy (TLA)
MQ-9 Reaper
Auto take-off and landing system
Gorgon Stare: 1 MQ-9 = 65+ video shots
Improved SAR dissemination
BACN = Battlefield Airborne Communications Node
RQ-4 Global Hawk
Enhanced EO/IR cameras
Enhanced synthetic aperture radars
Communications relay (BACN)

20. Small Tactical UAS Tier II STUAS Analysis of Alternatives
Tactical UAS to have a TAMDAR-like WX sensor on it to provide constant WX updates while conducting its primary mission thereby providing more accurate WX information at the target area within a 360 degree area out to the maximum distance of the laser

21. Wide Area Airborne Surveillance (WAAS)
The impact of UAS on the larger ISR enterprise
Increment 2 Gorgon Stare
Increment 1 Gorgon Stare
FMV
MQ-9
Wide area coverage with 10 independent ROVER queries through the GORGON STARE ground station
MQ-9
Better area overage and resolution with at least 10 independent ROVER queries through the GORGON STARE ground station
MQ-1
Observe single target
Single ROVER / OSRVT
Today