Improving UAS Data Utility

By John Kane

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) such as Predator, Shadow, and Raven provide warfighters with a vital "eagle's eye" view of the battlefield, relaying large quantities of video and telemetry data in support of real-time operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their successes on the battlefield, highlighted by the weaponization of the Predator, have resulted in a growing demand by military commanders for greater numbers and capabilities.

To offer the military insight on how to best use video and telemetry data from unmanned aircraft, MITRE has studied the problem in depth. Our research has revealed two key causes of reduced utility of unmanned aircraft data.

A lack of general network data dissemination: Full motion video (FMV) and telemetry data are collected in such a way that dissemination requires a high-bandwidth communications link. The majority of video collections are accessible in real time only by personnel equipped with specialized hardware or who are on dedicated high-bandwidth networks.

Limited data discovery and access: A very small percentage of the UAS video collected is stored in network-accessible archives. Most UAS video is temporarily recorded on tape or digital video recording devices, but deleted after weeks or even days due to storage and management limitations.

MITRE Capabilities

Having identified these key causes of reduced FMV data utility, MITRE is leading efforts to address them. The effort that may have the most potential for short-term impact is the expedited fielding of the Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Information Service (ISRIS) Video System in support of the global war on terrorism.

ISRIS Video originated as a MITRE research prototype. It provides net-centric video capture, live streaming, and archival, discovery, and access services to users in constrained bandwidth environments.

Another capability developed by MITRE, Cursor on Target (CoT) (see "Unmanned Aircraft Operational Integration Using MITRE's Cursor on Target"), is also playing a role in improving UAS data utility. CoT enables fielded military systems such as FalconView to receive and visualize UAS platform and sensor position data.

MITRE is also working with the Motion Imagery Standards Board to define new full-motion video standards and metadata schemas that will improve data utility and interoperability.

In the Field

All of these efforts are culminating in the expedited fielding of an ISRIS Video/CoT architecture, which will provide enhanced video data utility for the warfighter. MITRE has helped facilitate the installation of ISRIS Video at the Predator Operations Center at Nellis Air Force Base and is working with the pilots and sensor operators supporting real time operations in Iraq and Afghanistan to use the newly acquired video services to support the ability for:

• The pilot/sensor operator of one unmanned aircraft (UA) to view the live video from another UA when working on the same target. This supports both time-critical targeting and mission handover (when one UA takes over a mission for another UA that must return to base).
• Mission planners to search the archives for video collected in the past on a current target. This gives pilots/sensor operators a full motion video look at a target before they begin their mission.

MITRE will continue to apply its experience and expertise toward helping the Department of Defense realize the full potential and utility of both today's and tomorrow's unmanned aircraft systems.

For more information, please contact John Kane using the employee directory.

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