Richard Benney

Precision Airdrop System

*† ‡ The portable Precision Airdrop System (PADS) supports ground and in -flight high altitude airdrop mission planning for ballistic and autonomously guided system payloads. Precision Airdrop Planning System (PAPS) and Wind -profile Precision Aerial Deliv ery System (WindPADS) software components have been integrated and hosted on a pressure ruggedized laptop computer and are initialized and executed through a Graphical User Interface (GUI). In -flight, the PADS laptop computer is connected to a portable UH F radio receiver that is connected to one of the airdrop aircrafts bottom UHF antennae to receive real -time in -situ wind data from GPS dropsondes hand -lau nched from the airdrop aircraft. Successful initial operational PADS tests have been completed for hi gh -altitude delivery of ballistic payloads from U.S. Air Force airdrop aircraft and demonstrated significant improvement in airdrop accuracy . The integrated 802.11g wireless interface on the commercially -av ailable PADS Laptop C omputer is being developed t o communicate a Mission File to the Airborne Guidance Units (AGU) of guided systems while in the aircrafts cargo bay. Initial testing and demonstration of PADS with guided system payloads, using an earlier FreeWave wireless interface, was su ccessful. P ADS is being used to support the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Joint PADS (JPADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program for guided systems as the JPADS Mission Planner (JPADS -MP). PADS is also being deployed to support U.S. DOD high -altitude airdrop operations.

The Affordable Guided Airdrop System (AGAS)

This paper presents an overview of the Affordable Guided Airdrop System (AGAS). AGAS is a low cost, high aititude, deployable airdrop system that will be autonomously controlled via an onboard Guidance, Navigation & Control System (GN&C). The AGAS consists of a round parachute that is controlled via four pneumatic muscle actuators (PMAs) which are connected between the system’s payload and risers. The AGAS concept is being developed under the US Air Force New World Vistas Precision Aerial Delivery @WV-PAD) program that is jointly managed by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and the US Army Soldier and Biological Chemical Command, Soldier Systems Center (Natick). AFOSR and * Director of Engineering, Senior Member ’ Engineering Manager, AIAA Member * Principal Engineer, AIAA Member ‘Aerospace Engineer, Senior Member : Cyf, Aviation and Airdrop System Div, AIAA Member This paper is declared a work of the US Government and is not subject to copyright protection in the United States. 316 Natick have teamed with The Boeing Company and Vertigo Inc. to demonstrate the AGAS concept. A scaled system was demonstrated in September and November 1998 and is currently scaling up to a standard container delivery system (CDS) payload (A-22 container with 2200 pound capacity). This paper presents the current state of development of the AGAS and provides experimentally obtained performance data on the scaled system. The paper also discusses the applications for the AGAS system in the context of the NWV-PAD program and introduces the Guidance Navigation and Control (GN&C) system concept, which will utilize commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. (c)l999 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics

The Joint Precision Airdrop System Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is teamed with the Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the US Army Project Manager Force Sustainment and Support (PM-FSS), and under the oversight of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) Advance Systems and Concepts (AS&C) office, along with numerous other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute the Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). The JPADS ACTD is integrating a USAF developed laptop-computer-based precision airdrop planning system known as the Joint Precision Airdrop System Mission Planner (JPADS-MP) with the USA Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) in the “light” category of weight (2201-10000lbs rigged weights). The integrated system objectives include the ability to airdrop JPADS systems of up to 10,000 lbs rigged weight, from altitudes of up to 25,000 ft mean sea level (MSL), with up to 30kms of offset (in a zero wind condition), and land precisely within 100 meters circular error probable (CEP) of a preplanned ground impact point. An additional key metric is to have the final system work with the Enhanced Container Delivery System (ECDS) under a gravity drop (ECDS is not extracted), the type V platform, or a 463L pallet (when the payload can be item suspended) and for the entire decelerator/platform system to cost under

Performance, Control, and Simulation of the Affordable Guided Airdrop System

60K (in FY04

Status of the Development of an Autonomously Guided Precision Cargo Aerial Delivery System

s and in quantities of 100). This paper will provide an overview of the JPADS program goals, status of the effort with some flight test results to date. The paper will also introduce the reader to the JPADS Concept of Operation (CONOPS), highlight the research, technology and integration challenges associated with precision airdrop systems, and how the JPADS team is overcoming these challenges.

STATUS OF AN ON-BOARD PC-BASED AIRDROP PLANNER DEMONSTRATION

This paper addresses the development of an autonomous guidance, navigation and control system for a flat solid circular parachute. This effort is a part of the Affordable Guided Airdrop System (AGAS) that integrates a low-cost guidance and control system into fielded cargo air delivery systems. The paper describes the AGAS concept, its architecture and components. It then reviews the literature on circular parachute modeling and introduces a simplified model of a parachute. This model is used to develop and evaluate the performance of a modified bang-bang control system to steer the AGAS along a pre-specified trajectory towards a desired landing point. The synthesis of the optimal control strategy based on Pontryagins principle of optimality is also presented. The paper is intended to be a summary of the current state of AGAS development. The paper ends with the summary of the future plans in this area.

DOD JPADS Programs Overview and Nato Activities

The US Army Natick Soldier Center (NSC) is currently engaged in the development of a family of modified high altitude low opening (HALO) autonomously guided precision cargo aerial delivery systems. In alliance with the US Joint Forces Command and the US Air Force Air Mobility Command, DUSD-AS&C, the NSC including PM-FSS and Strong Enterprises, has engaged in the design and development of an autonomously guided 2000 lbs. and 10,000 lbs capable high glide delivery system, which has been successfully demonstrated in weight ranges 500 lbs. through 10,000 lbs. GRW. This platform known as SCREAMER is currently being tested at system design weight of 10,000 lbs GRW from military C-130/C-17 aircraft at the US Army Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

Guidance and Control for Flat-Circular Parachutes

Precision airdrop from high altitude is important for a range of missions while limiting risk to carrier aircraft. Since 1998 the New World Vistas program has sponsored development of a Draper Laboratory onboard Precision Aerial Delivery Planner and a Planning Systems, Inc. WindPADS wind/density field estimator to address these mission requirements. The resulting system derives an airdrop Computed Aerial Release Point on-board the carrier aircraft while in-flight to the Drop Zone (DZ). This enables adaptation to DZ changes while accurately accounting for current environment data. Reference trajectories for low-glide airdrop systems are also generated en route to the DZ. Two Ethernet-connected laptop personal computers are being used for the Planner, with its embedded airdrop simulation, and for WindPADS. The Planner PC also has access to data from the carrier aircraft 1553 data bus. Interfaces between the PCs and to the carrier aircraft have been successfully tested. Data is being collected by the Army to improve the Planners

Planning, Execution, and Results of the Precision Airdrop Technology Conference and Demonstration (2003)

Abstract : The US Army Research Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM), Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) have teamed with all Department of Defense (DoD) services and organizations with interest in programs and investments in Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) technology and systems. These organizations include: Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to include: Joint Staff (JS); Acquisition, Logistics and Technology (ALT); Director of Defense Research and Engineering (DDR&E), Advanced Systems and Concepts (AS&C), Joint Forces Command (JFCOM), US Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), USAF Air Mobility Warfare Center (AMWC), the US Army Product Manager Force Sustainment Systems (PM-FSS), US Marine Corps (USMC), US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM), US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and many other government agencies and contractors to plan and execute JPADS programs. This paper will provide an overview of some of the DoD JPADS programs to include: Results of the JPADS Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD), recent Joint Military Utility Assessment (JMUA) # 2, The US Army Formal Program of Record (PoR) for the JPADS Extra Light (700-2200lb capability), Rapid Combat Fielding (RCFs) Initiatives for JPADS 2,200lb systems and early results and lessons learned from Combat Operations, the recently started Wireless Gate Release System (WGRS), and related precision airdrop activities within NATO.

The New Military Applications of Precision Airdrop Systems

The Affordable Guided Airdrop System (AGAS) is being evaluated as a low-cost alternative for meeting the military’ s requirements for precision airdrop. Designed to bridge the gap between relatively expensive high-glide ratio parafoil systems and uncontrolled ballistic parachutes, the AGAS concept offers the benee ts of high-altitude parachute releases as well as the potential for highly accurate point-of-use delivery of material. The design goal of the AGAS development is to provide a guidance, navigation, and control system that can be placed in line with cargo parachute systems, for example the G-12 e at-circular parachute, and standard delivery containers (A-22) without modifying these e elded systems. The AGAS is required to provide an accuracy of 328 ft (100 m), circular error probable (CEP), with a desired goal of 164 ft (50 m) CEP. The feasibility of this concept was investigated through modeling and simulation. A three-degree-of-freedom (3DOF) point mass e ight dynamics model, sensor models of a commercial global positioning system (GPS) receiver and magnetic compass, and a model of the control and actuator system were incorporated into a Monte Carlo simulation tool. A bang-bang controller was implemented with trajectory tracking algorithms using position and heading information. Flight testing, using a radio-controlled scaled prototype, provided parachutedynamic and control response data to support themodeling efforts.Thestudy demonstrated thatthisconcepthas thepotential to providecontrolofpreviously unguided round parachutes to accuracies of approximately 210 ft (64 m) CEP. The program is now continuing into the next phase to include the development of a full-scale prototype system for payloads up to 2200 lb (1000 kg).