Degraded visual environment paradigm shift from mission deterrent to combat enabler

Richard M. Bratt; Allen D. Walker

doi:10.1117/12.2519013

1 May 2019 Degraded visual environment paradigm shift from mission deterrent to combat enabler

Richard M. Bratt, Allen D. Walker

Proceedings Volume 11019, Situation Awareness in Degraded Environments 2019; 1101902 (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2519013
Event: SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing, 2019, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

The ability to fully operate rotary-wing aircraft in natural and aircraft-induced degraded visual environments (DVE) is a challenge that is being addressed by the US Army Aviation science and technology community. When the term DVE is discussed, most people think of the challenges associated with dust landings; however, the problem involves much more than the final landing phase of a mission. The objective of a DVE system is to enable aircrews to fly a mission under visual flight rules in a degraded environment and/or instrument meteorological conditions. Much like night vision goggles allowed Army Aviation to “own the night,” the capability to safely operate in any weather condition will provide aviators the ability to “own the environment.” The US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Degraded Visual Environment – Mitigation (DVE-M) program is a multi-year demonstration program that is evaluating key technologies to enable full spectrum operations in degraded environments. The three main components of a DVE solution are flight controls, sensors, and cueing. Improvements in all three areas, along with the development of an advanced and modular architecture, will provide increased capability to safely operate in DVEs. In order to provide a true capability, these technologies must be integrated into an optimized solution consisting of fused sensor data, a comprehensive cueing solution, and advanced flight controls that include autonomous, sensor-driven guidance capabilities. The integrated system developed by the DVE-M program will be demonstrated in multiple locations with degraded environments and will build upon the test data and lessons learned from the 2016 and 2017 NATO flight trials.

Citation Download Citation

Richard M. Bratt and Allen D. Walker "Degraded visual environment paradigm shift from mission deterrent to combat enabler", Proc. SPIE 11019, Situation Awareness in Degraded Environments 2019, 1101902 (1 May 2019); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2519013

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