The Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently demonstrated its LOCUST program, which is short for “low-cost UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) swarming technology”. Basically, it launches a group of drones that can fly autonomously and “swarm” a target for the purpose of carrying out a coordinated attack.
The belief is that a system like this will allow the Navy to carry out what they refer to as “precision low-collateral damage strikes.”
“The recent demonstrations are an important step on the way to the 2016 ship-based demonstration of 30 rapidly launched autonomous, swarming UAVs,” said Lee Mastroianni, program manager at the Office of Naval Research, in regards to the tests.
The LOCUST program includes a tube-based launcher that sends drones into the air in rapid succession. Once in flight, the UAVs share information between one another, thereby allow for autonomous collaborative behavior during defensive or offensive missions.
Worth noting is that, given the small size of the launcher and drones, the technology allows swarms of compact UAVs to take off from ships, vehicles, and aircrafts.
During last month’s demonstrations, the ONR used Coyote drones, which are able to carry varying payloads for different missions. Another demonstration saw the UAVs accomplish completely autonomous synchronization and formation flight.
“This level of autonomous swarming flight has never been done before,” said Mastroianni. “UAVs that are expendable and reconfigurable will free manned aircraft and traditional weapon systems to do more, and essentially multiply combat power at decreased risk to the warfighter.”
Over the next 10 to 15 years, the Navy will evolve and remain the preeminent maritime force says Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert’s Sailing Directions to the fleet: “Unmanned systems in the air and water will employ greater autonomy and be fully integrated with their manned counterparts.”
Watch the LOCUST program in the video below:
Via ONR
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