Course: Application of Unmanned Systems
Introduction
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) are integrated sets of vehicle components and technological elements designed for flight applications, but which are not directly operated by a human. Teal Group predicts worldwide military UAS production of ninety billion over the next decade (Teal Group Corporation, 2018). This is due to UAS higher efficiency and lower development costs. UAS military applications include air-to-air combat, search and rescue, and surveillance and reconnaissance. A discussion of the future of UAS usage must encompass an analysis of how UAS may eventually replace human soldiers and lead to a redesign of military programs and systems. In fact, human factors like the significant loss of human lives, the higher system efficiency of unmanned systems and the lower development costs of unmanned systems shall take the debate of unmanned systems usage versus human soldiers to the center of military program designs.
Ashokkumar discusses the future of unmanned aerial systems through their application for targeting tasks. In his research study titled: “ Unmanned Air Vehicles for Targeting Tasks”, he presents how future UAS shall have significant roles in a battlefield as targeting systems (Ashokkumar, 2019).
Discussion
Targeting tasks in military applications refer to obstacle and enemy detection and weapon-target line of sight engagement through the use of advanced sensor systems that include cameras and radars (Ashokkumar, 2019). The position of the weapon system and the aircraft is extremely significant for this application. Flight path angles options dictate the line of sight engagement. Remote pilots control UAS trajectory and positions maneuvering parameters through an outer-loop but an autonomous UAS modifies these parameters through an inner loop. UAS’ inner loop control law structures are linear, and their gains are fixed (Ashokkumar, 2019). Therefore, equilibrium points can be swapped for the purpose of completing autonomous tasks.
Autonomous systems capabilities for targeting tasks can be assessed. Through flight path angle modulations, a trim code is used to calculate the equilibrium point where the desired flight path angle is obtained. These equilibrium points are used to establish acceptable search regions for adversaries and targets. This data is in turn used to establish an optimum flight path modulation for intelligence in UAS (Ashokkumar, 2019). Simultaneous stabilization computations indicated that UAS are stabilizable for the determined path angles and selected pole locations. Through a computation of thrust coefficient for line-of-sight modulation and control surface management for line-of-sight modulation, unmanned aerial systems’ autonomy and targeting capabilities were simulated. It indicated that autonomous maneuvering and targeting is possible and is at least as efficient as remote-piloted aircraft maneuvering and targeting (Ashokkumar, 2019).
Recommendation
Future UAS systems will be relied upon for complexity, efficiency, and safety. Lower development costs and rapid deployability are other factors that will also render UAS preferable for military applications. Limitations due to human physiology and psychology often prevent extreme aircraft maneuvers that offer optimum flight paths angles and enemy or adversary targeting. UAS usage for aircraft maneuvering present new opportunities for optimization of trajectories and path angles ( McGrew et. al., 2010). This is supported by Ashokkumar who demonstrated through his research study titled “Unmanned Air Vehicles for Targeting Tasks” that UAS are capable of autonomous maneuvering and targeting as efficient as remote piloted aircraft. This prompted Ashokkumar to state that autonomous unmanned air vehicles can have significant roles in a battlefield as a targeting system (Ashokkumar, 2019). His research study also highlighted how remote pilots control UAS trajectory and positions maneuvering parameters through an outer-loop but an autonomous UAS modifies these parameters through an inner loop.
Based on basic control system engineering theories, inner loop designs generate improved response in term of speed and stability (Nise, 2008). This means that autonomous UAS shall be expected to be much quicker at determining an optimum flight path angle and a line of sight engagement than remote piloted aircraft and human piloted aircraft. They shall also be expected to complete the required maneuvering at a higher speed while keeping an optimum position for aircraft stability. From an engineering and technology standpoint, autonomous UAS are therefore superior to remotely piloted aircraft and human piloted aircraft at maneuvering and targeting tasks. Human factor issues and aircraft development costs completely tip the scale in favor of UAS usage for targeting systems. This determination of UAS superiority to human operated systems for targeting systems shall be expected to be a pattern or model for other applications. The high efficiency and lower safety risks offered by UAS shall continue to lead to an exponential increase in their usage for both military and civil applications.
Conclusion
UAS applications include air-to-air combat, surveillance and reconnaissance and targeting system. In fact, Ashokkumar’s analysis demonstrate that UAS shall have significant roles in a battlefield as targeting systems because they can at least be as efficient as remote piloted aircraft systems and human piloted aircraft (Ashokkumar, 2019). Control systems engineering theories indicate that inner loop designs generate improved response in term of speed and stability (Nise, 2008). Therefore, autonomous UAS are much quicker at determining an optimum flight path angle and a line of sight engagement than remote piloted aircraft and human piloted aircraft. UAS shall also be expected to complete the required maneuvering at a higher speed while keeping an optimum position for aircraft stability. This determination of UAS superiority to remote piloted aircraft and human operated systems for targeting systems shall be expected to become a trend in engineering and technology. UAS shall also demonstrate higher capabilities than manned systems in other military or civil applications. The high efficiency and lower safety risks offered by UAS shall continue to lead to an exponential increase in their usage for both military and civil applications.
References
Ashokkumar, C. R. (2019). Unmanned air vehicles for targeting tasks. Proceedings of the
Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Part G, Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 233(5),
1926-1934. doi:10.1177/0954410018755258
Teal Group Corporation. (2018, November 19). Teal Group Predicts Worldwide Military UAV
Production of $90 Billion Over the Next Decade [Press Release]. Retrieved from
worldwide-military-uav-production-of-90-billion-over-the-next-decade
McGrew, J. S., How, J. P., Williams, B., & Roy, N. (2010). Air-combat strategy using
approximate dynamic programming. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 33(5),
1641-1654. doi:10.2514/1.46815
Nise, N. S. (2008). Control systems engineering (fifth ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
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