Dave White is Head of Advanced Projects at Callen-Lenz, with 30 years experience in flight test, safety and certification roles working on fixed wing, rotary wing and unmanned platforms.
Current small Uncrewed Air Systems are very capable. The implementation of emerging technology in both flight, navigation and payload systems makes them ever more useful even when operated in isolation.
However, a standard configuration that includes secure mesh communications, onboard sensors and - in particular - powerful computer processing, provides more opportunities to improve mission effectiveness.
Callen-Lenz can host complementary technologies from partner companies as well as developing proprietary use-specified capability.
We believe there are even more potential opportunities available from enabling multiple individual aircraft (and their systems) to work co-operatively together, sharing data securely and seamlessly using combined networked computer power.
Combining the functions of multiple UAVs to provide a ‘system of systems’ - where the capability of the whole is much greater than the sum of each in isolation - promises to enable the power of networked computing to be available in the sky.
These secure, airborne networked capabilities are already becoming common in 5th Generation crewed military air systems; Callen-Lenz believes there is no reason why, albeit at considerably lower cost and proportionate levels of sophistication, they cannot be introduced into small UAS.
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