N6833524C0208

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I

DO-823-2_Shrike UAS Design

This research activity, and early development effort, will address several critical technology gaps identified by the US Government regarding Contested Logistics, Power Generation and Distribution, Aircraft Automation and Autonomy, as well as distributed and decentralized Command and Control. A proposed solution to this Phase 1 SBIR Topic is a highly maneuverable multi-purpose UAS with the power available to support myriad concepts of employment and provide the range, speed, and payload to increase the number of dilemmas any potential adversary will have to contend with simultaneously and support contested logistics. Designated Shrike UAS this aircraft will be designed to operate autonomously at low altitudes. The Shrike system and supporting sub-systems must be sized appropriately for shipping container movement and Joint Strategic Airlift without having to disassemble the platform. It should be ready for operation within minutes of unloading. It must survive electronic/cyber-attack and continue mission within a communications and GPS degraded/denied environment as well as mange its own signature for maneuver against adversarial surface to air, and air to air threats. The core capabilities of the aircraft are based upon a 1-Megawatt (1MW) Turbine Generator. The turbine provides electricity to the four 250 Kilowatt electric motors that generates the thrust required for vertical lift and hover as well as efficient forward flight at reduced power draw extending the range of the aircraft. The system is estimated to generate usable power for mission systems between 200KW at hover, and up to 700KW in forward flight - orders of magnitude greater power availability than existing UAS systems. On the ground, the full 1MW of power is available for consumption by external users and to plug into critical infrastructure for emergency response and for austere operational locations.

The goal of phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of proposed R&D efforts and determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization.

N234-P02

N234-P02-0588

23.4

Colin N Wilkinson