Unmanned aircraft systems for maritime operations

Abstract

Current practices and major trends in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for maritime operations are presented along with projections of future UAS maritime applications. First, various aspects of UAS program management, including organization, operator responsibilities, program operation, and overall program costs, are reviewed. Next, maritime aircraft missions and required capabilities are outlined, and current practices for both manned and unmanned aircraft are described. Technological trends relating to UAS are also discussed, focusing on developments relevant to maritime UAS operations. This information provides a background for assessing potential future maritime UAS operations. Trends including miniaturization of sensors and computer systems, high energy density of power sources, and increased subsystem standardization and modularity will have important effects in the future. However, another significant trend is towards increased system autonomy via new command and control frameworks that facilitate integration of UAS into higher level maritime observing systems through new concepts of operation for networked systems and new business models.