estimating unmanned aircraft systems lessons learned on global hawk charlie kapaku 303 aesg/syf 4...

Estimating Unmanned Aircraft SystemsLessons Learned on Global Hawk

Charlie Kapaku303 AESG/SYF4 March 2010

Briefing Content

• Purpose• Background• Lessons Learned• Special Considerations• Summary/Conclusions/Q&A

• Purpose– Present lessons learned on estimating the

costs of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).– Provide a basis for further discussion and

study

Purpose

UAS Funding

DoD Annual Funding for UASSource: Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap (2005)

• Global Hawk– System Overview– History

Background

Global Hawk System Overview

Mission Control Element (MCE) Launch and Recovery Element (LRE)

Aircraft and Payloads

Global Hawk: High-altitude, long-endurance capability

providing intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance information

Approved for public releaseASC-07-0101

The Aircraft

• Global Hawk is a remotely piloted, high altitude, long endurance aircraft

• Supports DoD intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions with integrated sensors

– Electro-optical/Infrared Images

– Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) for all weather

– Future signals intelligence (SIGINT) capabilitiesApproved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

The Aircraft

• Specifications (RQ-4A)

– Wingspan: 116 ft

– Length: 44 ft

– Height: 15 ft

– Gross T/O wt: 26,750 lbs

– Payload: 2,000 lbs

• Performance

– Range: 12,500 nm

– Endurance: 30+ hrs

– True Airspeed: 335 Kts

• WORLD RECORDS (as recognized by NAA):

– Highest altitude by an autonomous, unmanned jet-powered aircraft: 65,191 ft

– Longest endurance of an autonomous, unmanned jet-powered aircraft: 30 hrs 24 min

– First non-stop flight across Pacific Ocean by an autonomous aircraft

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 ,

9/9/09

The Aircraft

04/21/23 9

U-2 B-737 Global Hawk

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

The System

Launch and Recovery Element1 Pilot + Comm Support

Mission Control Element1 Pilot, 1 Sensor Operator + Contractor Support

The Global Hawk Operations Center (GHOC)

1 Experienced Pilot + 1 Sensor Operator

Operation Supervisor (on call)

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

The Controls

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

The Controls

TACTICAL USERS(SENSOR ONLY)

LAUNCH ANDRECOVERYELEMENT(C2 ONLY)

COMMUNICATIONS

SAR– SAR Strip-Map at 1m– SAR Spotlight at 0.3m– GMTI Mode (90• / 120 sec)

EO-IR– NIIRS 5.5 EO, 5.0 IR (Strip-Map)– NIIRS 6.5 EC, NIIRS 6.0 IR (Spot)

AIR VEHICLE– 60-65K Ft. Altitude– 24 Hrs Time On Station @ 1,200 NM Radius

MISSIONCONTROLELEMENT

(C2 & SENSOR)

UHFSATCOM

C2 SATCOM

C2C2 C2

C2 LOS

UHF-Band: C2 LOS

SENSOR

Ku SATCOMKu-Band: C2 and SensorSATCOM

C2 & SENSOR

C2 & SENSOR

CDL SENSORCDL C2 &

SENSOR

X-Band CDL: C2 and SensorLOS

The Links

ELINT- LR-100 Receive/Locate system

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

• RQ-4 Global Hawk Origin and Conception• Evolution of the RQ-4 Global Hawk• Current Operations• Future Operations

RQ-4 History

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

RQ-4 Global Hawk Origin and Conception

• May 95 DARPA Launches RQ-4 Advanced Concept Technology Demo

• 7 Demo Aircraft built by Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Center

– First Taxi: 16 Oct 97

– First Developmental Aircraft Flight: 28 Feb 98

• Stage 2 Australian Demonstration: Apr 01

– First non-stop UAV flight over Pacific Ocean

– Flew 7300 miles and 23 hours

• Nordholz, Germany Demo: 15 Oct – 6 Nov 03

– 6 ELINT demonstrations over North Atlantic

– Up to 35 hours endurance at altitudes more than 65,000’

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Evolution of the RQ-4 Global Hawk

• Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF): Nov 01

• Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF): Mar 03

– 5% of surveillance missions

– 55% of time-sensitive targets

– Collected more than 3,700 images

• First Production Vehicle: 1 Aug 03

• Arrival at Beale AFB: 15 Oct 04

• Over 19,000 Combat Hours: Jan 09

• Operations Ongoing (unclassified)

Operation Enduring Freedom, Mar 02

“The Global Hawk was a formidable

tool in the war – new and powerful”

“The Global Hawk was a formidable

tool in the war – new and powerful”Lt. Gen Moseley, 9th AF CommanderLt. Gen Moseley, 9th AF Commander Arrival at Beale AFB, Oct 04

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Evolution of the RQ-4 Global Hawk (cont)

• RQ-4B Model Developed to Meet AF ISR Mission Requirements – Increased payload capacity: 3,000 lbs – Operates two-and-a-half times more power– Enhanced ISS capability– First production unveiled: Aug 06 – First flight: Mar 07

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Current Operations

• RQ-4 CAOC ISR Support Requirements Include Afghanistan and Iraq • U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) Mission Includes:

– Maintaining an effective and visible U.S. military presence – Deterring threats by hostile regional states– Projecting military force into the Mideast region if necessary

• Operations in other AORs have already begun

Gen David H. PetraeusCENTCOM Commander31 Oct 08

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Other Operations

• California Wildfire’s – 23 total wildfire’s, 10 not contained– 7 deaths related to fires

• SAN DIEGO COUNTY DAMAGED– 300 square miles– 196,420 acres– 650 homes

• LA COUNTY/MALIBU DAMAGED– 665 square miles– 426,000 acres– 1,500 homes

• 1 Million people evacuated

• Estimated cost of damage: $1 Billion

• Nearly 9,000 firefighters in seven counties

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Other Operations

• A fire line is observed moving from Southwest to the Northeast

• History

– 40% of the GrassValley fire is contained with over 1,000 acres destroyed

– Over 1.5 million dollars in damage

Grass Valley

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Other Operations

– Disaster Relief• Hurricanes• Earthquakes• Forest Fires

– Homeland Security• Counter Smuggling• Border Patrol

– Broad Area MappingEffectiveness

Approved for Public Release - ASC Case 88ABW-2009-3983 , 9/9/09

Lessons Learned and Special Considerations

• 1st step in any estimate is to define what you’re estimating– WBS is the usual tool cost estimators use to help

define the weapon system• Appendix H of Mil-Hdbk 881A, DoD Handbook

Work Breakdown Structures for Defense Materiel Items, dtd 25 Jul 2005, specifically addresses UAS

• Tailored to match unique elements of systems– Operating and Support costs are defined and

organized according to the six standard CAIG cost elements

Defining an UAS

• Unique 881A Level Two Elements– Air Vehicle– Payload(s)– Ground Segment– System Integration, Assembly, Test and

Checkout• System of Systems approach may be applicable• Integration is an area of concern• Payload(s) and Ground Segment are just as

important (if not more so) than the air vehicle

UAS WBS

• Is Cockpit of UAS, and center of communications and data

• 881A lists Ground Control Systems and Command and Control Subsystem as WBS Level 3 items– GH experience is that Command and Control

Subsystem is a Level 4 element within Ground Control System (GCS)

• Estimating concerns:– Certification and Accreditation– Interface with base comm systems– Interfaces with payloads

Ground Segment

• Payloads are critical - they perform the mission

• Can cost as much or more than the air vehicle

• 881A provides good WBS definition

• Estimating Concerns:

– Size, weight and Power (SWaP)

– Interface with air vehicle’s mission computer

– Interface with ground segment

– End user of payload data may not be part of ground segment and may need separate interface

– Payloads may be common across multiple platforms, which may add schedule and technical complexity

Payload(s)

• UAS WBS is the only WBS in 881A to specifically list System IAT&CO as a Level 2 element– Emphasizes concerns of integrating air

vehicle, ground segment and payloads into one system

• However… GH has not used IAT&CO at Level 2– Integration and Assembly Costs captured and

estimated at Level 3– Test and Checkout costs captured and

estimated in System Test and Evaluation element

System IAT&CO

• GH has a high degree of concurrency in the program– Development, production, and O&S all

happening at the same time– Significant numbers of mods are also

beginning to take place• Complicates estimating– Phasing of estimates is difficult because

schedules constantly change– Be careful of “chasing” technology

Concurrency

• Estimating concerns• Adequate number of test assets– Air vehicles– Payloads– Ground Segments

• Scheduling– Driven by development and production events

Test

• UAS weapon systems are more likely to contain or consist of Non-Developed Items (NDI) /COTS

• Estimating impacts: – Descriptive hardware and software data may

not be available• Limit to government independent technical

evaluation of cost inputs

Proprietary Systems

• Warfighters still refining operations and employment concepts

• Estimating concerns– OPSTEMPO still changing– Basing not finalized• Flexible deployment process

– SATCOM costs– Depots• Subject to 50-50 rule, but proprietary data

reduces flexibility

Operations and Support

• UAS is a growth area• Cost estimators need to be aware of

unique/special UAS concerns• WBS is the basic tool to help define and highlight

areas of concern• Ground segments and payloads are important • Integration between air vehicles, ground

segments and payloads can be a significant cost• Growing applications of UAS will significantly

impact operations and support cost estimates

Summary

Questions?