Evaluation of design criteria for mini unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) applications

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the factors that dictate the design of a mini unmanned aircraft system (UAS). Design/methodology/approach This paper analyses various dimensions that dictate the design criteria for a mini UAS. Findings Compared to civil applications, design of mini UAS for military application is much more challenging owing to combat restrictions. Topics related to civil applications dominate research in the field of mini UAS, with over 60% of the papers accounting for civil applications. Limited published articles related to military applications are available. While 86% of the in-production mini UAS is primarily meant for military applications, only 9% of the research is devoted to military applications of mini UAS. Most mini UAS, although designed primarily for military applications, are also extensively used for various civil applications. Critical aspects that influence the employment of mini UAS in the tactical battlespace are area of interest, type of operation, type of operational tasks, terrain and network-centric operations. All these factors collectively impact the design of a mini UAS. Practical implications According to various studies, mini UAS is the fastest growing segment amongst all classes of UAS. This paper will provide vital inputs to the designers and manufacturers of mini UAS for both military and civil applications. Social implications Mini UAS are in the list of “must-have” for modern militaries across the world and is also growing exponentially in the civil domain. Therefore, it is important to understand the critical factors that dictate the design of mini UAS. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, such an analysis is not available in the open domain.

Leveraging network-centric strategic goals in capabilities

The vision of network-centric operations is to increase operational capabilities through networked collaboration. NATO and its member nations state this vision in strategic documents at a very high level of abstraction. While suitable for giving an overall feel, current documentation renders the steps toward implementing those visions largely unsupported. We outline a method that is based on agile requirements engineering, for converting high-level strategic visions into capabilities whose forms lend themselves to incremental implementation. We illustrate the use of this method in two cases that deal with both operational capabilities and technical capabilities. We also show how the method enables one to prioritise which capabilities to develop first. We conclude that it is necessary to formulate and implement some form of explicit methodology with which to span the gap between strategic visions and an effective implementation of those visions.

Exploiting new satellite connectivity means to conduct efficient measurement missions

<p>The digitalization of airborne scientific operations has become a must to secure and optimise efforts engaged on field campaigns. Thanks to affordable communication and information technologies, the potential of these special operations can be maximized.</p><p>ATMOSPHERE has developed PLANET, a network-centric operations platform that answers the specific needs of research missions. It enables efficient coordination through real-time sharing of information between mission’s stakeholders. It is now used routinely in atmospheric and Earth observation missions, such as the measurement of traces of gases and aerosols performed by the DLR Dassault Falcon D-CMET. PLANET has recently played a major role in challenging international campaigns involving aircraft, vessels, and drones (ATOMIC/EUREC4A, MOSAiC).</p><p>Under the ESA ARTES programme, ATMOSPHERE is now leveraging the solution to provide enhanced services relying on the Iridium Next satellite constellation.</p><p>This paper reviews measurement campaigns in which the use of satellite connectivity was essential, and describes how the exploitation of new ATMOSPHERE´s applications can benefit the scientific community.</p>

The Impact of IoT on Information Warfare

The Fourth Industrial Revolution is seen as a digital one, extending the previous information revolution. This is exhibited by the pervasive connectivity of many smart devices, known as the internet of things (IoT). The data generated and access created by these devices provides opportunities in an information warfare context by providing new avenues of attack and abilities to enhance existing capabilities. Recent cyber-attacks have illustrated the relevance of IoT to cyber-operations. However, IoT can influence information warfare through the use of drones, the extent of network-centric operations, and other factors. The major impact of IoT is the increased attack surface and techniques available, and opportunities for data gathering.