The OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, AH-64D Apache Longbow and MQ-1C Gray Eagle land at Michael Army Airfield, Utah, Sept. 16, 2011, after the Manned Unmanned. The aircraft joined with the RQ-11B Raven and MQ-5B Hunter to demonstrate their interoperability during the MUSIC Exercise Sept. 16, 2011.
“MUSIC is intended to be a showcase for innovation, integration, and ultimately interoperability,” said Tim Owings, Deputy Project Manager of Unmanned Aircraft Systems for the Army.
The seven featured aircraft included the AH-64D Apache Longbow Block II, OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, MQ-1C Gray Eagle Unmanned Aircraft Systems, RQ-7B Shadow UAS, RQ-11B Raven small UAS, Puma All Environment Capable Variant and the MQ-5B Hunter UAS, which all have the capability to shoot and stream live video. These aircraft also possess the ability to exchange and use the information as needed, whether it is to conduct surveillance or reconnaissance of a given area.
Combat Aviation Brigades will have the ability to control several different unmanned aircraft through a single Universal Ground Control Station, in a rapid manner. The common hardware and software provided by UGS supports interoperability across each of the aviation platforms.
A single operator is then able to take control of a given payload, or sensor, on the aviation platform by using the One System Remote Video Terminal. The operator can steer the aircraft’s payload in any direction to conduct surveillance and reconnaissance of an area. The OSRVT is then able to receive video not only from the Gray Eagle, Shadow, and Hunter, but also from other small unmanned aircraft such as the Puma and Raven, along with manned platforms Apache and Kiowa.
Not only is MUSIC helping shape the future of CAB units and the Army but its creating connections across joint boundaries to include the Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps, said Maj. Gen. William T. Crosby, the Program Executive Office, Aviation.
MUSIC will hold similar exercises every two years to demonstrate its continued technological advances.
Source: DVIDS