Next Generation Close Air Support
Thursday, 11 February 2010 11:08
The NGCAS system is defined as a future close air support (CAS) concept incorporating the aircraft and C2 components to more effectively conduct CAS using small-smart munitions, emerging state-of-the art networks, and interfacing with joint terminal attack controllers (JTAC) equipment to allow digital acquisition, tracking, and target prosecution in CAS.
DARPA is seeking information from industry regarding alternatives for the aircraft and aircraft C2 components to better understand cost, availability, and mission capability for demonstration planning purposes in a NGCAS system. It is the aircraft and its command-and-control that DARPA is interested in for this RFI.
DARPA has tentatively identified the following qualitative objectives for responses:
• Responses to the RFI should only focus on UAS not manned systems.
• Technological risk of the UAS should be relatively low or could be made low by the required timeframe to keep unnecessary risk out of a potential demonstration.
• Advanced UAS consistent with NGCAS requirements (suggestive of cost and technical risk) are encouraged in the responses, but responses should specifically address these concerns:
• The UAS can be based on a manned system, e.g. QF-4, QF-16, UA-10, etc.
The following approximate attributes are desired in the aircraft and its command-and-control:
• Responsive—any or all of aircraft speed, maneuverability, command-and-control able to process CAS requests and get the aircraft and weapon into a firing position in a timely manner. There are no specific speed and maneuver requirements, but the closer to high subsonic speeds (Mach 0.65+) and several-g maneuver the better.
• SWaP consistent with 2000-5000 lbs of payload
• NGCAS level of persistence would not be a demonstration objective, but alternatives should posses range and endurance at least comparable to existing armed UAS. If based on a manned system, performance shall remain unchanged or improved.
• The ability to maintain link or have autonomy features to fly through loss-of-link during maneuver. Maneuvering for engagement (or for survival) should not initiate loss-of-link procedures, which would negatively impact mission performance. Sense-and-avoid features to maintain safety-of-flight in these situations is not required for a potential demonstration.
• For all systems, the aircraft control segment should be consistent with known future requirements for UAS interfaces
• As open as possible from an architecture standpoint and consistent with current DoD UCS Interoperability efforts
• Able to integrate components and applications that DARPA would develop under NGCAS efforts (airborne networking, next generation munitions, etc.)
• Flight testing use in the 2012-2013 timeframe. Alternatives should have documented risk reduction activities (flight tests, other demonstrations, etc.). Cost-effective equipment and service. ♦