8/8/2012

Dave Schreck's first AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America 2012 trade show was a memorable one.

Schreck, who was named director of UAS and Control Technologies earlier this year, said the high volume of customer meetings made this year's event well worth attending.

"We really accomplished our goal for the show, which was to position Rockwell Collins as the key enabler for the convergence of manned and unmanned aircraft in the national airspace," said Schreck. "By having so many customer meetings in a condensed time period, AUVSI is an outstanding event that provides many opportunities for valuable interaction."

Pictured above: Dave Schreck, director of UAS and Control Technologies for Rockwell Collins

Much of the buzz at this year's AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America 2012 in Las Vegas has centered on the Federal Aviation Administration's mandate to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.

Journalists were also interested in the topic and came to Rockwell Collins for answers on how this integration will come about. Fifteen interviews were conducted before and during the show with Senior Vice President of Washington Operations Bobby Sturgell, UAS and Control Technologies Director Dave Schreck, and Vice President and General Manager of Simulation & Training Solutions LeAnn Ridgeway.

John McHale, editorial director of Military Embedded Systems Magazine, says his readership, made up of electronics hardware and software designers, are very concerned about what the rules will be for certifying and securing software for unmanned platforms.

"The technlogy is there and been proven on manned systems, but the rules for UAS are still undefined when it comes to safety," said McHale. "Pilots want to be assured that the other aircraft flying around them meet the same requirements for security and safety that they must meet."

Pictured above:  John McHale, editorial director of Military Embedded Systems Magazine, watching a 3D video depicting Rockwell Collins vision of integrating manned and unmanned aircraft in the national airspace. 

• Anti-jamming GPS
• Redundant autopilots for unmanned and optionally manned aircraft
• Certified engine control
• Robust low latency data links and C2

Small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) flying in the national airspace will soon be a reality with the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Reauthorization and Modernization bill. At AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America 2012, Rockwell Collins is inviting attendees to get a three-dimensional, animated look at what the convergence of UAS and manned aircraft will look like. Join Rockwell Collins in Booth 1651 for a look into the future.

Rockwell Collins will also be displaying a number of flight control, navigation, communications and simulation and training systems that will enable the safety of flight for UAS at its exhibit.

A few examples include:

Small Mission Computer – The GPC-3000 Small Mission Computer offers a variety of Rockwell Collins capabilities including advance computing and memory capacity, tamper detection, and an open systems software architecture. The computational resources of GPC-3000 in a compact package enables a variety of payload and mission processing applications.

MicroGRAM – The MicroGRAM reliably provides secure military GPS technology for very small size constraint equipment. Much smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the Miniature PLGR Engine-SAASM (MPE-S), the MicroGRAM is slightly bigger than a large postage stamp, while still providing the valuable Selective Availability/Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) technology. SAASM encapsulates all GPS classified data and signal processing into one tamper-proof module, providing jamming and spoofing protection for U.S. and allied forces operating in hostile environments. The MicroGRAM is another example of Rockwell Collins’ strong legacy in providing innovative military GPS capabilities.

RTK for SAASM – Rockwell Collins has launched the first operational Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) GPS receiver. Until now, military operations that required centimeter-level GPS navigation accuracy were based on commercial RTK GPS receivers. However, with the Rockwell Collins RTK SAASM technology solution, unmanned aircraft systems can now achieve centimeter-level relative navigation accuracy for autonomous capture, landing, or other operations, while benefiting from the high-security features of the SAASM GPS receiver. The RTK SAASM solution also enables cost-effective solutions for many other applications including targeting and north-finding applications.

TacNet Tactical Radio – The TacNet™ Tactical Radio (TTR) – a lightweight, low-power, low-cost Link 16 radio – provides networked communications to platforms that do not have access to Link 16 networks because of size, weight, power or cost constraints. Platforms that can benefit from the TTR radio include unmanned aerial systems, rotary wing aircraft, forward air controllers, military vehicles, mobile and transportable ground stations and small maritime assets.