Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA)

The scope of the program includes, but is not limited to, system level requirements identification, allocation of requirements to segments and components, design, development, integration, fabrication, test, training, and support activities to provide the MQ-25 capabilities. To provide these capabilities, MQ-25 will transition technologies from other programs and adapt them into the carrier environment. MQ-25 will deliver the necessary air vehicles, command, control, connectivity, shipboard and land-based launch and recovery control systems, associated support systems, interfaces, and upgrades to other Navy systems (as required) to meet the required capabilities.

The Unmanned Carrier Aviation (UCA) Mission Control System (UMCS) program develops, modifies, builds, integrates, and installs control systems, afloat and ashore, required to operate the MQ-25A, Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and future unmanned systems. UMCS will have to modify existing systems or develop new capabilities to support the control of different unmanned systems. With limited space on the aircraft carriers, the control station software will be modified to enable control of multiple aircraft from a single cockpit. The Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System program includes what was previously identified as the Control System & Connectivity (CS&C) and Carrier Vessel, Nuclear (CVN) Integration (CVNI) Segments previously captured under the MQ-25 Development PU 3278. The UMCS program, PU 3279, is the system-of-systems required for MQ-25 vehicle and payload control both shipboard and shore based. UMCS consists of all ground and ship-based hardware, software, and networks associated with the planning and execution of flight operations and tactical missions. In addition to the Ground Control Station (GCS), consisting of Air Vehicle Pilot (AVP) workstations and servers, the UMCS program builds hardware to support line of sight (LOS) communications, beyond line of sight (BLOS) satellite communications (SATCOM), and integration with ship/shore-based systems. There are three variants of the GCS: MD-5C (CVN-based), MD-5D (Shore-based) and MD-5E (Embarkable system) for use on CVNs that do not yet have permanent GCS systems installed. UMCS leverages existing Programs of Record for network integration and LOS/BLOS communications and builds MQ-25 unique systems (e.g. an ARC-210 based LOS communication system and a Video Management System (VidMS) for AVO situational awareness). The GCS, with a dedicated manufacturer for the core component, allows for streamlined software development, supports multiple classification levels, and positions MQ-25A interoperability with other DoW systems. Hardware development and fabrication is one facet of the program. UMCS develops and integrates software and modifies several aircraft carrier spaces to install and integrate the GCS and communication systems, in support of MQ-25A test events and operations aboard select NIMITZ Class CVNs.

Project CA74 is to fund the development and testing of Advanced Commercial Software for Unmanned Systems. Funding supports development of the MQ-25 Air System, UMCS Ground Control Station, and lab data environments in both the unclassified and classified domains. This data environment will accelerate the test data reduction and analysis timeline post-ground and flight test events for timely reporting. This software will reduce development iteration cycles by enabling rapid detailed insights on MQ-25 Air System and UMCS Ground Control Station asset performance and any system degradations. The software will provide a collaborative tailorable data analysis environment allowing seamless teamwork between test and engineering disciplines. The development of automated data review routines will be used to replace manual analysis to shorten data analysis timelines. Comparative analysis tools will be used to analyze historical data with recent tests to understand and develop trend analysis across scenarios. In support of future unmanned carrier aviation, a functional software prototype will be implemented into the Joint Digital Autonomy Range (JDAR) framework and the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) solutions to support the Navy development of Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) assessments of operational suitability, safety, human autonomy teaming, system integration, and end-to-end testing of autonomous systems. Additionally, in support Experimental Platform for Intelligent Combat (EPIC), a functional software prototype will be developed to conduct evaluations of mission autonomy solutions performing CCA-relevant mission sets