Leading manufacturers and operators of large unmanned platforms are looking to UAS test ranges to evaluate and test their platforms/systems and benefit by taking advantage of supporting infrastructure that test ranges often offer. The range assets are critical to being able to test and execute operations Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) of the operator/pilot. Test ranges are also attractive to operators and platform/payload manufacturers because of their ability to offer services, support, expertise, and real-world environments to operate and test within. This can include things like air traffic control cooperation, visibility and access to radar systems, ADSB multilateration systems, and many other things that may be critical in providing a safe and efficient testing environment.
As a leading provider of modeling and simulation software, and having a long history of utilizing these tools in support of aerospace and defense systems, AGI / OneSky is uniquely positioned to bring its industry-leading analysis to test ranges and enhance the testing and evaluation of advanced unmanned systems.
Recently, we began working with both NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corporation and New York’s NUAIR Alliance to provide an advanced modeling and simulation approach to conceptual mission planning and systems analysis for NAVMAR’s Tigershark UAS. Conceptual operations (CONOPS) are typically most beneficial when considering not only the aircraft’s mission plan but also the associated payloads, performance, supporting infrastructure capabilities, and other aspects of the operation’s design.
OneSky utilizes AGI’s Systems Tool Kit (STK) to model and analyze various mission critical aspects of the operation through advanced model-based systems design and executes the simulated mission designs within its simulated software environment. This provides an enhanced level of understanding of the capabilities and limitations of the systems under test while also providing an efficient way of making adjustments to the planned operations or exploring alternative designs or systems-level changes. For example, perhaps a different antenna type or adjustment to a radio’s power level or modulation could result in an increased link quality. It is easy to consider these types of changes and explore the effects that various changes may have on the entire mission plan.
The video below shows a notional flight route of the NAVMAR Tigershark UAS within the NUAIR test range. Accurately modeling the airframe’s characteristics make flight planning easy and results in accurate representations of the aircraft’s maneuvers and aerodynamic capabilities along the flight route. Considerations for the various range assets such as Radar visibility are included to ensure visibility and detection of the aircraft throughout its entire test plan. RF links are also explored using terrain and urban landscape building information to provide link quality predictions for both point-to-point systems such as operator-to-vehicle command and control systems as well as larger infrastructure such as cellular systems.
OneSky – NAVMAR Tigershark Systems Modeling & CONOPS Design (NUAIR Test Range) from OneSky on Vimeo.
This model-based systems engineering approach brings an advanced planning capability to both operators and test ranges while elevating the fidelity of flight safety analytics. Learn more about how AGI/OneSky is bringing advanced model and simulation to commercial unmanned systems by visiting www.onesky.xyz
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