Department of Defense (DoD) Unmanned
Aircraft Systems (UAS) Integration
into the
National Airspace System (NAS)
Domestic
Use and Integration of Department of Defense Unmanned Aircraft Systems
The Department
of Defense (DoD) currently operates over 11,000 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS),
domestically and overseas; differing in size, technologies and capabilities,
and supporting a wide range of missions.
The Deputy
Secretary of Defense Policy Memorandum 15-002, Guidance for the Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems,
provides specific and stringent guidance for the domestic use of DoD UAS (Department
of Defense (DoD), n.d.). The primary
purposes of DoD domestic UAS operations are to provide realistic training and
exercises for DoD forces, to test equipment and tactics, techniques and
procedures (TTP) in preparation for DoD operations, and “…to support Homeland
Defense (HD) and Defense Support of Civilian Authorities (DSCA) operations…”
(DoD, n.d., para. 1).
Current Department of Defense Unmanned Aircraft
Systems Airspace Integration Method
Unlike
manned aircraft, DoD UAS are not permitted unencumbered entrance into, or use
of, the National Airspace System (NAS). Instead,
for DoD UAS operations conducted outside of DoD special use airspace
(e.g., Restricted Areas, Warning Areas, Prohibited Areas, Military Operations
Areas (MOA), etc.), a temporary Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA),
issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is required which “…allows DoD UAS to fly via pre-coordinated flight routes
to DoD special use airspace” (DoD, n.d., para. 4). Although the DoD has been able to coordinate
flights through this process, the level of airspace access required to support
current and projected operational tempos has not been obtained (DoD, n.d.; DoD,
2011).
Department of Defense Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Airspace Integration Plan
The DoD Unmanned
Aircraft System Airspace Integration Plan, Version 2.0, prepared by the UAS
Task Force, Airspace Integration Integrated Product Team, leverages policy,
procedures, technologies and resources in order to safely increase UAS access
to, and integration in, the NAS.
Incremental efforts are focused on near-, mid- and far-term objectives
that will allow for immediate (near-term) improvements in NAS access, while developing
appropriate technologies (i.e., sense-and-avoid) and working towards viable
far-term solutions which will safely allow routine access for DoD UAS within
the NAS (DoD, 2011; Statement on Tactical Air and Land Forces, 2013).
Discussion
Sense and Avoid
The DoD Unmanned
Aircraft System Airspace Integration Plan (2011) defines sense and avoid
(SAA) as “the capability of a UAS to remain well clear from, and avoid
collisions with, other airborne traffic.
Sense and avoid provides the functions of self-separation and collision
avoidance to fulfill the regulatory requirement of see and avoid” (p.
A-2). The development and implementation
of the SAA capability is divided into both mid- and far-term objectives. Mid-term objectives include the development
and fielding of ground based SAA (GBSAA) radar systems that will provide the
UAS/operator with traffic information within the operating airspace; thus
enabling the UAS to maintain a safe separation from other aircraft (MITRE,
2013). Far-term objectives include the
development, certification and fielding of airborne SAA (ABSAA) radar system,
which will act “…as a replacement for the see and avoid capability of the pilot
onboard a manned aircraft” (Lester, Cook & Noth, 2014, p. 6); and the
collaboration, or integration, of GBSAA and ABSAA systems (DoD, 2011).
Next Generation Air Transportation System
The FAA’s Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen)
is a comprehensive overhaul of the NAS from a “…ground-based,
largely analog air traffic control system into a satellite-based digital
system” (Dillow, 2013, para. 20) that
will provide the capability to guide and track air traffic more precisely and
efficiently by “...using tools like enhanced
data links to share more and better information between controllers, pilots,
and aircraft themselves” (Dillow, 2013, para. 20). NextGen improvements and upgrades which have
direct application to UAS integration include the NAS Voice System (NVS), which
“…will enable direct communication between air traffic controllers and pilots,
including UAS pilots” (Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), 2015, p. 19), automatic
dependent surveillance-broadcast, which “…is the more precise, satellite-based
successor to radar” (FAA, 2015, p. 4), and separation management, which
includes UAS flight planning and ATC direct communications (FAA, 2015). In addition, technologies currently being
developed, tested and demonstrated for the DoD, such as secure, low-latency
data networks, precision global positioning system (GPS) and relative
positioning, can potentially be integrated into NextGen in order to address
concerns about both civilian and DoD UAS operation with, and avoidance of, manned
aircraft in the NAS (Dillow, 2013).
The “Human Factor”
A main concern with the integration of any UAS into the NAS
remains the absence of a pilot in the aircraft.
In a manned aircraft, the pilot has the advantage of “...visual,
auditory, proprioceptive, tactile, and olfactory sensory cues...” (Jones,
Harron, Hoffa, Lyall & Wilson, 2012, p. 98), which may not be available to
the controller/operator of a UAS, to better respond to unplanned situations
and/or events. One method of addressing
this concern is to incorporate additional sensors, cameras, displays, etc., for
the UAS pilot/operator to compensate for both the loss of sensory cues and
situational awareness. In doing so, however, additional issues, such as
timeliness of information, increased attention requirements and sensory
overload, could be introduced (Jones et al., 2012, p. 98).
Conclusion
Integration of DoD UAS into the NAS will enhance the ability
for DoD UAS pilots and operators to train at home; allowing them to conduct
exercises, test equipment, execute and hone TTP, and maintain a high level of
combat readiness in order to support ongoing operations world-wide. Additionally, the ability to provide timely support
to HD and DCSA, provide disaster relief, etc. will require improved NAS access
for DoD UAS. Finally, the integration of
new and advanced DoD UAS technologies could help mitigate the “human factor”
concern, and improve the effectiveness of the FAA NextGen effort.
References
Department
of Defense. (n.d.). Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS): DoD purpose and
operational use. Retrieved January 23, 2016, from http://www.defense.gov/UAS
Department
of Defense. (2011, March). Unmanned Aircraft System Airspace Integration Plan,
Version 2.0. Retrieved from
http://www.acq.osd.mil/sts/docs/DoD_UAS_Airspace_Integ_Plan_v2_(signed).pdf
Dillow,
C. (2013, July 5). What the X-47B reveals about the future of autonomous
flight. Popular Science. Retrieved from http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-05/five-things-you-need-know-about-x-47b-and-coming-era-autonomous-flight
Federal
Aviation Administration. (2015, May). NextGen implementation plan 2015. Retrieved from https://www.faa.gov/nextgen/media/NextGen_Implementation_Plan-2015.pdf
Jones,
E., Harron, G., Hoffa, B., Lyall, B. & Wilson, J. (2012, December 31).
Research project: Human factors guidelines for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
ground control station (GCS) design. Retrieved from http://www.researchintegrations.com/publications/Jones_etal_2012_Human-Factors-Guidelines-for-UAS-GCS-Design_Year-1.pdf
Lester,
T., Cook, S. & Noth, K. (2014, January 31). USAF airborne sense and avoid
(ABSAA) airworthiness and operational approval approach. Retrieved from
http://www.mitre.org/sites/default/files/publications/usaf-airborne-sense-avoid-13-3116.pdf
MITRE.
(2013, August). Enabling unmanned aircraft systems to detect and avoid other
aircraft. Retrieved from http://www.mitre.org/publications/project-stories/enabling-unmanned-aircraft-systems-to-detect-and-avoid-other-aircraft
Statement of Mr. Dyke D. Weatherington, Deputy Director, Unmanned Warfare Strategic and Tactical Systems, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, 113th Cong. (2013, April 23)
Statement of Mr. Dyke D. Weatherington, Deputy Director, Unmanned Warfare Strategic and Tactical Systems, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics) before the House Armed Services Committee, Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, 113th Cong. (2013, April 23)
