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Patrolling highways in hostile area, while
protecting convoys is part of the regular mission of UAVs in Iraq.
Relying on continuous communications and positioning from blue force
tracking systems, UAVs can cover a convoy, controlled from ground
control stations at distances of up to 100 km. However, a more
suitable solution is to use a small UAV loitering overhead, equipped
with ground surveillance systems to monitor the area ahead of the
convoy forewarn ambushes or suspected IEDs lying ahead. Such systems
were demonstrated by several manufacturers at the UAV Battlelabs. One
of the system, the Boeing/Insitu ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)
could be used for convoy protection in Iraq before the end of 2005.
New sensor suits are evaluated for these
missions, providing situational awareness and early warning of hostile
intent. Such sensors are including close coverage by
acoustic gunshot
detectors, such as the ShotSpotter, which automatically slews the
UAV's camera to source of fire; EO/IR imaging sensors offer coverage
at longer range, and enable the UAV to fly ahead of the convoy,
providing early warning about potential threats. Synthetic aperture
radar can also employed by "sweeping" roadsides from long distance,
detecting changes in the terrain, which could indicate IED locations.
To better coordinate between the UAV and the convoy, the UAV or its
sensor has to be controlled from the moving vehicles, providing
continuous feed of video imagery while on the move. The UAV can
perform several tasks automatically, including Continuous Change
Detection (CCD) processing and moving target detection. Advanced
operating modes enable the UAV to autonomously maintain a fixed
distance ahead of a convoy, by following the route and GPS location of
the ground station (security team). |
