BAE Systems – Autonomous Capability Overview

Richard Williams
Director Civil Autonomous Systems

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Introduction & Agenda
Richard Williams – Director of Civil Autonomous Systems
– To define and implement a BAE Systems Strategy for “optimised” entry into the
emerging market for Civil Autonomous Systems.

Today's Objectives:
– Introduce BAE Systems
– Give an overview of BAE Systems Autonomous Systems work across Land, Sea and
Air sectors.
Agenda
– What is Autonomy
– Drivers/Constraints to take-up
– What is BAE Systems currently doing
– Air
– Land
– Sea
– Integration

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 Levels of Autonomy (from US Navy Office of Naval Research and
used by SEAS DTC)

Level Name Description

All activity within the system is the direct result of human-initiated control inputs.
1 Human operated The system has no autonomous control of its environment, although it may have
information-only responses to sensed data.

The system can perform activity in parallel with human input, acting to augment the
ability of the human to perform the desired activity, but has no ability to act without
2 Human assisted
accompanying human input. An example is automobile automatic transmission and
anti-skid brakes.
The system can perform limited control activity on a delegated basis. This level
encompasses automatic flight controls, engine controls, and other low-level automation
3 Human delegated
that must be activated or deactivated by a human input and act in mutual exclusion with
human operation.
The system can perform a wide variety of activities given top-level permissions or
direction by a human. The system provides sufficient insight into its internal operations
4 Human supervised and behaviours that it can be understood by its human supervisor and appropriately
redirected. The system does not have the capability to self-initiate behaviours that are
not within the scope of its current directed tasks.
Both the human and the system can initiate behaviours based on sensed data. The
system can coordinate its behaviour with the human's behaviours both explicitly and
5 Mixed initiative implicitly. The human can understand the behaviours of the system in the same way
that he understands his own behaviours. A variety of means are provided to regulate
the authority of the system with respect to human operators.

The system requires no human intervention to perform any of its designed activities
6 Fully autonomous
across all planned ranges of environmental conditions.

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Focus for best business advantage
Remotely Piloted vs Autonomous

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Constraints to Autonomy/Automation

Constraint Comment

Safety Prior to acceptance into use an autonomous system has to demonstrate that
it does not pose an unacceptable risk to human life, often associated with
regulatory bodies such as Civil Aviation Authority
Political / Public and political acceptance that machines will replace people in certain
Cultural jobs

Technology The technology is not yet mature for true autonomy, however increasing
levels of automation are possible
Regulatory Regulatory and legal frameworks need to be put in place

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BAE Systems UAV programmes
HERTI-1A

Stage 1 and 2
Extensive period of: HERTI-D
Computer modelling,
HERTI 1B
simulation, Operational
Analysis, Wind Tunnel
testing and prototyping HERTI
Stage 3 - KESTREL
SOARER
Stage 4 –
RAVEN

2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007+

Stage 4+ -
CORAX

SUAV(E)/TARANIS
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UK MoD SUAV(E) Programme

– SUAV(E) Programme formed in July 2005.

– Risk-reduction to address range of issues related to UAVs

– Addressing: technology, systems and integration issues

– Joint team, bringing together best in class: BAE Systems,

QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce, Smiths Aerospace

– Based on:
– Raven demonstrator programme
– Nightjar 1 & 2
– Other risk reduction programmes (MoD and Industry)

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Taranis

– Contract awarded by the UK Ministry of

Defence December 2006.

– The Taranis programme involves the

design, development, production and
test flying of a technology demonstrator.

– Taranis will make use of at least 10

years of research and development.

– The programme is valued at £124

million.

– Ground testing expected 2009; first

flight trials 2010.

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Taranis

– BAE Systems, as prime contractor will

provide many elements of the Taranis
technology demonstrator

– The Taranis project supports many of

the key drivers outlined in the Defence
Industrial Strategy.

– Important project for the way in which

military operations are changing.

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HERTI – 18 August 2005
First fully autonomous mission of a CAA
approved unmanned aircraft in UK airspace.

Regulation & Certification

Airspace Allocated through CAA DAP
CAA B Certificate Issued for UAV System
Integration with HIAL Safety Case Complete

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HERTI

Key Technologies
• Autonomous operation
• Next generation systems
• Full FCS
• Unique Image system
• Very low logistics footprint
• Multiple vehicle ops
• Rapid reaction deployability

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Autonomous Systems Development

Image Capture and Exploitation

Unique BAE Systems development

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ICE System Flight Trials
Detection of small targets

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BAE Systems (US) - UAV (Air) Capability:
– Second generation ducted fan technology
– Risk reduction programme for DARPAs Organic
Air Vehicle Class 2
– First flight April 2005

– Developed to support missions at regiment level

– Reconfigurable to meet specific mission requirements
– Flight tested during August 2006
– Full system comprises 3 air vehicles, ground control
station, launcher and remote receive terminal

IAV2 – Ducted fan UAV

Skylynx II
– Avionics systems and ground control
developed and flight tested in 8 months
by BAE Systems Controls
– MathWorks tools enable geographically
separated team to simulate, visualise
and analyse the control system – Deployed by US Army and several
international customers
– Operate autonomously or remotely via
ground control station – 12 hour duration
– Auto take off / land
– Carry a variety of EO/IR/Radar/EW
UAV Autopilot – (Eagle150 UAV) payloads
Skyeye R4E

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What are BAE Systems Currently Doing - Sea (UK)
Talisman UUV – Objectives
– Stimulate an ill-defined market by means of practical demonstrations
– Establish a common approach to autonomy
– Integrate Talisman into existing (and future) combat management
Systems & Ground Stations to achieve inter-operability

Markets/Applications
– Mine Counter Measures
– Surveillance
– Harbour/Platform protection
– Extended protection (Submarine/Warship)
– Undersea Oil & Gas Talisman

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What are BAE Systems Currently Doing – Land (UK)

– Velocity Guidance Capability

– Drive by Wire
– Sense and avoid
– Localisation
– Sensor/vehicle integration

ATC Bowler ‘Wild Cat’

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What are BAE Systems Currently Doing - Insyte

– UAV Groundstations (in association with BAE Systems Australia)

– Support to Air Systems
– Other UAV Suppliers (where competitive advantage not affected)
– Sea
– Integration of autonomous platforms with Combat System e.g. Talisman
– Integration
– Intellegence collection and presentation from multiple autonomous and manned
platforms.

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ASTRAEA
– ASTRAEA Project will:
“enable routine use of Uninhabited Air Vehicles in Military and Civil
airspace WITHOUT the need for restrictive, specialised or non-routine
conditions of operation”
– BAE Systems is currently leading stakeholder
– All Aircraft will be fully certified, using manned platform conventions
– Our development aircraft are designed for an overall system reliability
performance equivalent to light aircraft standards
– Our production aircraft are designed for a reliability performance
equivalent general civil aviation standards

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ASTRAEA

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Questions / Discussion
Autonomy in Systems

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