It’s Better to Share: Breaking Down UAV GCS Barriers

US “Chair” Force?(click to view full) UAVs have played a crucial role in gathering intelligence in the US military’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are thousands of UAVs gathering and distributing valuable data on the enemy, but each system uses its own proprietary subsystem to control the air vehicle as well as receive and process the data. Yet commanders need access to information gathered by all types of UAVs that are flying missions in their area of operation. Recognizing this shortcoming, the Pentagon began an effort in 2008 to break down the proprietary barriers between UAV systems and create a single GCS that will fly all types of drones. This free-to-view DID Spotlight article examines the problem of proprietary UAV systems and efforts to break down barriers to sharing vital UAV-generated information. Ground Control to Major Tom: The role of GCS Predator GCS(click to view larger) One major component of the data collection and dissemination process is the UAV GCS. The ground station receives the information collected by a UAV, processes that information, and reroutes it via a datalink to the appropriate end user. The station also controls where the UAV goes and what it looks at. For example, […]