| Inside
the CGS mission control element from left to right, the Global Hawk tech control,
communications planning, command and control, mission planning and quality control
positions |
| Raytheon E-Systems go Ground segment holds the key to UAV mission success How the common ground segment of the HAE UAV programme is being developed |
| The high-altitude endurance unmanned aerial vehicle
(HAE UAV) programme is in its third year as a US Department of Defense advanced concept
technology demonstration (ACTD). Aimed at developing long-dwell, high-altitude tactical
reconnaissance capability, the programme's focus has been on development of two
complementary UAV systems: the conventional design, multi-payload capable and moderately
survivable Global Hawk (Tier 11+); and the low-observable, highly survivable,
single-payload capable DarkStar (Tier Ill). Under the direction of the defense advanced
research projects agency (DARPA), a third element was added to support the ability to
command and control both HAF UAV systems from common shelterised operational units derived
from a modified Global Hawk ground segment. Raytheon E-Systems of Virginia is developing
the common ground segment (CGS) that will control up to three HAF UAVs simultaneously. The
CGS will support common mission planning and provide integrated image processing and
dissemination, enabling combinations of Global Hawk and DarkStar UAVs to provide
continuous, all-weather surveillance capability to warfighters. The CGS consists of a launch-and-recovery element (LRF), a mission-control element (MCF) and ground communication equipment that allow for operation of elements in separate locations. Contained in a 24 x 8 x 8ft militarised shelter, the MCF consists of command and-control, mission-planning, imagery control and quality-control positions. The MCE is responsible for mission planning, including flight, communications, sensor and dissemination planning, sensor processing, survivability, suite control, and aircraft and mission control. Once the mission plan has been completed it is electronically transferred to the LRE for loading into the HAF UAV |
| The LRE that fits into a similar 11 x 8 x 8ft ISO transportable shelter, is a subset of the MCE equipment. It prepares, launches and recovers the HAF UAVs, verifies the health and status of subsystems aboard the vehicle and after receiving the mission plan from the MCF, makes appropriate modifications and loads the plan into the UAV. During launch and recovery it is responsible for monitoring the air vehicle, co-ordinating flight plans and handing off control of the UAV to the MCE. The MCF then assumes responsibility for monitoring and controlling the UAV and its payloads. The MCF is the key node in the HAF UAV system, permitting dissemination of near-real-time high-resolution imagery, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with ground moving target indicator (GMTI), electro-optical (FO) and infrared (IR) data, to existing command-and-control systems, directly to field users or exploitation centres. |  The launch and recovery element on site with the Global Hawk at Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical, San Diego, California. Upon arriving in San Diego, the LRE was fully functional within four hours |
| It also can provide imagery information by voice reporting of quick-look reports and dissemination of selected images transmitted in the NTIF 2.0 format. Ground equipment of the CGS consists of communication gear, a common data link/modular inter-operable surface terminal, a ku band tactical field terminal, an environmental control unit and generators. The Global Hawk's 40-hour-plus mission length could provide imagery support to a commander in Korea from the US west coast while supporting the national command authority. When tasked, the MCF would develop a mission plan, send it to the LRF that would load it into the Global Hawk prior to takeoff. When commanded by the LRE, the Global Hawk would take off autonomously using differential GPS and fly to a mission area. At a pre-determined point during ingress, the LRF would hand off the command-and-control responsibility to the MCF. The pre-programmed imagery data collected by the UAV would be sent to a pre-arranged location and on to an exploitation facility within the US. During the mission, retasking would involve uploading a new mission plan or changing an existing plan. On egress, control would revert to the LRF. To extend the Global Hawk's on-station mission, the LRE could be deployed to a Korean base or to Global Hawks' recovery, service and relaunch area. To support this capability, the elements of the CGS can be disassembled within 24 hours of receiving movement orders and be fully functional within a day of arriving at bed-down sites. The CGS can be transported by three C-141 aircraft, two C-17s or one C-5. The maintenance support kit provides 30 days' autonomous operations. |
 |
Global Hawk potential scenario |
| The CGS workstation control windows and operator
interface protocols were developed with the user community and personnel from US Atlantic
Command, HAF UAV joint project office, and the warfighter analysis integration centre.
Early-user exposure to the system is extended to testing and integration of the CGS by a
system-integration lab that emulates the system and develops workable procedures before
implementation. Processes that determine optimal configuration of the CGS for high-altitude military reconnaissance are expanding to include command and control of future UAV systems such as unmanned aircraft and tactical UAVs. Lessons are being learned that make development of the joint programme office for UAVs' tactical control system a simpler task |
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