UNCLASSIFIED
Joint Unmanned Aircraft System
Mission Environment (JUAS-ME)
A Ground Test Architecture for Army
Manned/Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
Robert E. Stone
JUAS-ME Army Program Manager (PM)
Advanced Technology Office
US Army Redstone Test Center (RTC)
Michael J. O’Connor
JUAS-ME Architecture Lead
Trideum Corporation
November 4, 2015
Lewis Hundley
JUAS-ME Assistant PM
Trideum Corporation
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UNCLASSIFIED
Manned/Unmanned Teaming
• MUM-T is an Army capability in which manned aircraft assume varying
Levels of Interoperability (LOI) (i.e. control) of unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS) to accomplish intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance
(ISR) and target prosecution.
• These LOI’s are defined as follows in NATO STANAG 4586:
LOI 1 – Direct Receipt of Secondary Data from UAS
LOI 2 – Direct Receipt of UAS Sensor/Payload Data
LOI 3 – Control of UAS Sensor/Payload
LOI 4 – UAS Flight Control
LOI 5 – Launch and Recovery of UAS
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Conceptual MUM-T Scenario
LOI 1-4 DefsMUM-T is a True SoS and Requires a SoS Test Environment
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MUM-T Test Challenges
• Testing of MUM-T systems has several unique challenges:
MUM-T is a true system of systems (SoS), comprising manned
aircraft, the UAS/ground control station (GCS), and in some
scenarios dismounted soldier systems. Testing of these capabilities
must be performed in a true SoS environment to assess all
functionality and limitations of the combined systems.
MUM-T functionality is inextricably tied to the transmission of data
across the tactical data link. The ability to control this link in an open
air test environment is limited at best.
Current FAA restrictions on UAS flight in the National Airspace
(NAS) typically requires expensive ferry and logistics costs to co-
locate the manned aircraft at the UAS flight area for testing of
MUM-T capabilities.
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JUAS-ME Ground Test Solution
• In order to meet these challenges, RTC developed a ground test
architecture linking existing tactical hardware in the loop (HITL), installed
systems test facilities (ISTFs), labs, and ranges using the Defense
Research Engineering Network (DREN) into an aggregate SoS
environment for MUM-T testing. The architecture, known as the Joint UAS
Mission Environment, is comprised of the following Team Redstone
facilities:
RTC Aviation System Test and Integration Lab (AvSTIL) – a manned
aircraft installed systems test facility focusing on MUM-T and ASE testing.
The AH-64E was placed in virtual flight using AvSTIL capabilities.
AMRDEC Joint Systems Integration Lab (JSIL) – A Gray Eagle HITL facility
with both air vehicle and GCS. The Gray Eagle was also placed in virtual flight
within the facility.
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JUAS-ME Ground Test Solution
(continued)
RTC Distributed Test Control Center (DTCC) – a unique capability focused
on the design, control and execution of distributed tests. Additionally the
DTCC houses the tactical data link emulation, the common scenario
simulation (OneSAF) and serves as the focal point for data collection and
analysis.
RTC Laser Lab - a sensor performance testing lab in which UAS payload
laser designators can be fired and characterized.
RTC Range Facilities – test towers with full view of 5 km range. Provides
instrumented targets for tracking and lasing with full suite of witness sensors
networked into the test architecture.
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UNCLASSIFIED
• While JUAS-ME development focused on the AH-64E and Gray Eagle,
the architecture can integrate any TCDL based HITL or ISTF for manned
or unmanned aircraft with only minor modifications.
• JUAS-ME is a tri-service development sponsored by the Test Resource
Management Center’s Central T&E Improvement Program (CTEIP).
• JUAS-ME successfully demonstrated the base architecture in FY13 and
FY14, and was awarded the Army Modeling and Simulation Office
(AMSO) Award for FY14 in the Team T&E category.
JUAS-ME Ground Test Solution
(concluded)
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UNCLASSIFIED
8
JUAS-ME Concept
RTC
Range
1553
PLD Msgs
MDBCTT
Common
Sensor
Payload
RTC DTCC
AMRDEC JSILRTC AvSTIL
JSTEN
TCDL
Tactical
Msgs
TCDL
Tactical
Msgs
TCDL
Tactical
Msgs
OneSAF
AH-64E
TSPI
MQ-1C
Air Vehicle
TSPI
MQ-1C
GCS
TSPI
OSRVT
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UNCLASSIFIED
JUAS-ME Unique Developments
• Several unique components were developed to support the JUAS-ME
effort.
Joint Scalable Tactical Emulated Network (JSTEN) - An
established Army product that provides tactical network emulation for
a variety of terrestrial and airborne RF based networks. JUAS-ME
updated JSTEN to:
Include bit-level processing algorithms based on the Air Force’s
Standard Common Data Link (SCDL) Specification.
Incorporate a unique IP Multicast Multiplex function allowing
separation of “publish” and “subscribed” multicast data.
Implement a deterministic Data Link Filter allowing user selected
data link messages to be blocked.
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UNCLASSIFIED
JUAS-ME Unique Developments
(concluded)
Multiplex Data Bus Controller Translator Transmitter (MDBCTT)
– Used within AvSTIL to overdrive MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC 429
busses for virtual flight. JUAS-ME modified MDBCTT to:
Allow 1553 bus data to be converted to IP, routed over a
standard network structure, and then re-converted back to 1553.
Extends MIL-STD-1553 Busses over ten’s of kilometers
Allows UAS payloads to be placed on the RTC range and
still function under the control of the UAS bus controller.
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UNCLASSIFIED
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JSTEN
Joint Scalable Tactical Emulated Network
Forward error
Correction
GFPGFP
Forward error
Correction
Bit-Level
Data Link Spec
Algorithms
TDL Msgs
From Tx
Platform
Radio
Performance
Antenna
Performance
Tx Platform Vehicle
RF Parameters
Radio
Performance
Antenna
Performance
Rx Platform Vehicle
RF Parameters
TDL Msgs
Passed to Rx
Platform
-OR-
TDL Msgs
Stopped
JSTEN Data Link Emulation Allows
MUM-T Functionality Evaluation Under
Full Range of Conditions
Relative Geometry
RF Propagation
Terrain
Weather
Physics Based
Algorithms
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MDBCTTMultiplex Data Bus Controller Translator Transmitter
1553 - S
1553 - P
MDBCTT
CSP C2 Commands
INS NAV Data
Gray Eagle AV
Payload Control Computer
1553 - S
1553 - P
MDBCTT
RT
(Surrogate CSP)BC
(Surrogate PCC)DREN (via DTCC)
Gigabit E-net
Overdrive
Data
Source
CSP EU CSP TU
1553 PLD
Messages Range
MDBCTTJSIL
MQ-1C
HITL
Targets
On RTC
Range
JUAS-ME MDBCTT Allows
1553 Buses to be Extended
up to Approximately 25 km
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UNCLASSIFIED 13
Extended
MIL-STD-1553
RTC AvSTIL
Apache
AMRDEC JSIL
Gray Eagle
RTC DTCC
Data Link
Emulation
RTC Range Tower
CSP
JUAS-ME Test Geometry
Emulated
Data Link
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UNCLASSIFIED
JUAS-ME Virtual Test Scenario
Gray Eagle in loiter
pattern north west
of Redstone
GCS located at
RTC airfield
AH-64 flying south
east of RedstoneOSRVT located at
Bldg 4500
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UNCLASSIFIED
Example of Tactical Video Degradation During Target Tracking in
LOI – 3 Due to Emulated Data Link Quality Degradation
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JSTEN Control and Monitoring GUI
Apache Gray Eagle UAS
Apache Received Video UAS Transmitted Video
As Relative Range
Increases, Video Packets
Begin to Drop Out
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Data Link Degradation Videoin LOI 3
Gray Eagle CSP Video From Range CSP Video Received at Apache
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Emulated Target Prosecution Using
UAS Laser Designator in LOI-4
CSP Track
(symbology removed)
Witness Camera
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Summary
• The JUAS-ME architecture integrates Army manned and unmanned
systems into a SoS environment to support ground testing of MUM-T
capabilities.
• JUAS-ME allows full software functionality testing of MUM-T systems,
including target prosecution with actual UAS sensors on the range.
• Program development focused on Apache, Gray Eagle, and OSRVT, but
any TCDL based system can be integrated into the architecture.
• JUAS-ME cuts across organizational boundaries to maximize use of
existing HITL, ISTF, Laboratory, and Range assets from RTC and
AMRDEC to support the Aviation Warfighter.
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