Abstract
As
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) evolve, various industries are looking at how
they may benefit from the capabilities these systems may provide. Agriculture, Gas/Oil, Farming, Law
Enforcement, Fire Protection, Real Estate development and countless others
might soon be using UAS to operate more effectively. A contributing factor to the development and
employment of UAS will rest with the methods of communication used to control
the platform. This paper will use the
Northrop Grumman Global Hawk (RQ-4) to explore the technologies being developed
that will allow UAS to one day become a safe and reliable tool used in the
United States National Air Space (NAS).
Unmanned Aerial Systems Beyond Line of Sight Operations
The RQ-4 Global Hawk
David Morgan reports in his Reuters online article, FAA Considers Beyond-Line-Of-Sight Drone Initiatives: Sources the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is developing partnerships with the makers of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) that could one day operate in the National Air Space (NAS) while being controlled Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) radio and using satellite communications links. (Morgan, D., 5/1/15). The Air Line Pilots Association opposes BLOS out of concern for safety of flight of manned aircraft, but clearly, UAS is an emerging technology (Morgan, D., 5/1/15). In this paper I’ll look at one such UAS, the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk.
The Northrop Grumman Global Hawk (RQ-4) Fact Sheet, publicly available on the Internet, describes it as a High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aerial platform that can be controlled via multiple communication channels including Ku SATCOM Datalink, CDL LOS, UHF SATCOM/LOS, INMARSAT, ATC Voice, and Secure Voice from its associated Ground Control Station (GCS). It has met the necessary air worthiness standards to gain FAA approval to fly regular flights within the NAS (Northrop Grumman, n.d.). As the Global Hawk does utilize these methods of communication, it is worth mentioning that bandwidth is at a premium, and could potentially be a limiting factor as more UAS enter the NAS (Barnhart, R., Hottman, S., Marshall, D., and Shappe, E., p. 162). Another indication that BLOS operations will drive the advancement of UAS is apparent in the FAA’s approval of ConocoPhillips to fly the ScanEagle in BLOS missions off the coast of Alaska (Trimble, S., 5/6/15). On a YouTube video, U.S. Air Force Global Hawk pilot, Major Keith Schilawski, discusses the capabilities, including the autonomous capability of the Global Hawk. The Major reminds us that due to those autonomous capabilities, his role could potentially be considered that of a supervisor, however even the most capable systems may exhibit problems. He goes on to describe the need to think in terms of physically being in the aircraft, rather than on the ground, possibly hundreds of miles away. (Global Hawk Pilot, 09/02/14, Foxtrot A, YouTube). This is a human factors element not unique to this aircraft. This point is also made by Barnhart, et’al, where the pre-mission planning is described as a key element in a comparison with real-time control (Barnhart, et’al, p. 166). Major Schilawski goes on further to describe another benefit unique to UAS; that a pilot can be relieved by another person as needed.
The
advantages of the Global Hawk lie in its long loiter capability. The disadvantages are as mentioned with the
potential for lost-link and as discussed above, where RF frequencies are in
high demand. With that long loiter
capability, combined with its EO/IR payload, it is easy to imagine the Global
Hawk being ideally suited for law enforcement, border protection, or search and
rescue. It presents an example of the
technologies that will be needed in all UAS, for their full integration into
the NAS.
References
- Barnhart, R.K., Hottman, S.B., Marshall, D. M., & Shappee, E, Introduction to Unmanned Aircraft Systems, p. 166, (2012), CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, Boca Raton, FL.
- Defense Industry Daily Staff, (10/03/2011), It’s Better to Share: Breaking Down UAV GCS Barriers, Defense Industry Daily, Retrieved 11/25/15: http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/uav-ground-control-solutions-06175/
- Morgan, D., (5/1/15), FAA Considers Beyond-Line-Of-Sight drone initiatives: Sources, Reuters. Retrieved 12/12/15 http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-drones-faa-idUSKBN0NM4HE20150501
- Trimble, S., (05/06/15), AUVSI: FAA Approves Beyond Line of Sight, Urban UAV Flights, FlightGlobal.com., Retrived 12/12/15: https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/auvsi-faa-approves-beyond-line-of-sight-urban-uav-412021/Internet Sources
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