Submitted by the PEO (CU) Public Affairs Office

The Navy moved a step closer to the reality of having Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Air Vehicles at sea. During a special demonstration onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Thetis (WMEC 910), Nov. 22, Bombardier Services of America Corporation (BSAC) successfully conducted an automatic landing demonstration with their CL-327 Guardian Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV).

Teamed with BSAC of Lawton, Okla., were Sierra Nevada Corporation, from Sparks, Nev., and MacDonald-Dettwiler Associates of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. On a clear day off the coast of Key West, Fla., with two- to four-foot seas and 10 to 15-knot winds, CL-327 made a series of approaches and stable hovering over the flight deck to evaluate vehicle control and automatic landing system tracking accuracy. Following this test event, the UAV was commanded to wave off and return to a pre-planned landing point. On its final approach, the UAV landed within six inches of the planned touchdown point within a pre-positioned securing grid.

Another key element of this demonstration was use of the Joint Service Tactical Control System (TCS). Through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales Program, the United Kingdom purchased the specific TCS unit on board the Thetis.

For the demonstration, TCS took video imagery directly from the CL-327 and passed that imagery to the ship's combat information center. Capt. Mike Witte, TCS program manager, noted the importance of the overall event. From the TCS perspective it provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate interoperability between a U.S. surface platform, the Canadian UAV, and U.K. TCS ground station. TCS was the key needed by Thetis to receive real time video in its command and control center.

This shipboard demonstration was BSAC's last event in a Navy Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) demonstration program, which began in December 1997. Purpose of the demonstration was to evaluate the maturity of VTOL Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies, evaluate air vehicle performance and to minimize risks of development of VTOL UAVs in the naval environment. Three participants in the demonstration were BSAC, Bell Helicopter and Science Applications International Corporation.

Results of the demonstration to date show that VTOL UAV maturity is more advanced than originally envisioned.

"This demonstration is extremely valuable to the Navy's UAV program because it validated our automatic approach and landing development in a dynamic environment," Navy UAV Program Manager Captain Lynden Whitmer said. "The demonstration provides lessons learned that will be used during development of our next generation UAV systems, both on land and at sea.

"We really applaud the Coast Guard's efforts in providing this landing platform for the demo," he continued. "The Thetis crew was especially helpful in getting the UAV system installed, tested, and flown within the limited time we had available for the test."

Digital Photos are available. For more information on PEO (CU) programs see the Web site at www.peocu.js.mil under PAO. For further information contact: Cathy Partusch, Public Affairs Officer, PEO (CU) Voice: (301) 757-6316 or e-mail her at: [email protected]