Autonomous behavior, as programmed by Scientific Systems Co. (SSCI), was recently demonstrated for an MQ-20 Avenger unmanned aircraft system (UAS). It's a first step in the autonomous control of fleets of UAVs for sharing of control and information for such tasks as extensive sensor coverage of an area and uninterrupted custody of a target.
The Avenger (see image above), a vehicle owned by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, operated autonomously according to SSI’s Collaborative Sanitization Behavior software. The software, which re-tasks an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to meet mission priorities and operate as a team, coordinates the UAVs with the aid of artificial-intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) techniques.
By employing AI, ML, and complex algorithms, the software ensures tactical coordination of a fleet of UAVs without a human in the loop for control. David "Heat" Lyons, Scientific Systems' vice-president of business development and a former F-16 Weapons Officer and combat fighter pilot, said, “We are thrilled to partner and work alongside GA-ASI on a world-class platform like the MQ-20 Avenger.”
Lyons explained that this advanced autonomous control can save seconds and lives on the battlefield: “Today's dynamic battlespace is more complex than ever. Enabling the warfighter with teaming collaborative mission autonomy that is not only capable and recognizable, but also able to handle contingencies at the edge and in real-time is absolutely critical to mission success.” He noted that SSI looks forward to future air-to-air mission demonstrations with General Atomics.