Beyond
line of sight (BLOS)
The Fury 1500 was originally
designed and built by AeroMech Engineering in San Luis Obispo CA, but the
company was subsequently bought out by Chandler in 2009, and again by Lockheed
Martin in 2012. The Fury is a small tactical Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)
designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The Fury boast a
maximum altitude of 18,000 feet, while providing real time intelligence data
for a maximum flight/loiter time of 16 hours (Kable Intelligence Limited,
n.d.). Fury 1500 can be launched on land or shipboard, using a pneumatic
launcher, and is recovered either with the use of a net recovery system or
water connectors for water recovery
(Tarantola, 2014).
With the capability of both
Line of Sight (LOS) and Beyond Line of Sight) BLOS) operations, the Fury 1500
is capable of expeditionary operations utilizing an Expeditionary Ground
Control Station (xGCS) built form commercial off the shelf components
(Hemmerdinger, 2014). With BLOS capability, the Fury 1500 is able to be forward
deployed with minimal crews, putting ““puts Fury alone in the low-altitude,
long-endurance, large payload, tactical UAS market” blurring “the line between
tactical and strategic unmanned ISR without the need for a fixed runway” (UAS
Vision, 2012).
LOS operation is enabled via
a data link, while BLOS operation utilizes a high-bandwidth commercial
off-the-shelf (COTS) SATCOM data link (UAS Vision, 2012). Autonomous operation
is also enabled “using mission management software known as STANAG 4586
SharkFin, which carries out navigation control, video display and payload control
missions” (Kable Intelligence Limited, n.d.).
Fury is equipped with both electric-optic and infrared sensors, and
utilizes synthetic aperture radar.
BLOS operations have the
distinct advantage of increasing the range and operational capability of UAS’s,
enabling a more agile response with minimal personnel deployment. In the case
of Fury 1500, utilization of a portable ground control station also offers an
extension of the operational ability of the aircraft by allowing remote
location access. A disadvantage of BLOS use is that operational and maintenance
support is not always available at forward locations, and the potential for a
lost signal resulting in loss of the aircraft.
LOS operations have the
advantage of maintaining a direct link with the ground control station,
reducing the likelihood of a disruption of signal. A disadvantage is that the
aircraft is restricted to an operational range that maintains the LOS. Additionally, LOS operation in a forward deployed
environment means a larger logistics footprint for operations and support.
A human factors
consideration in the switching between LOS and BLOS operations could be in the
need for clear communication and strict adherence to transfer guidelines. Loss
of signals during transfer, or incorrect information passed on to the receiving
control station can create issues.
A potential benefit of BLOS
in a commercial application would be in the area of civilian search and rescue
operations. Allowing rescue crews to cover and investigate a larger ground area
more efficiently could potentially save numerous lives. Another potential use would be the transport
of organ donations without the need to generate larger aircraft. This could
save time and money and reduce the reliance on manned craft.
References
Hemmerdinger,
J. (2014, May 13). AUVSI: Lockheed integrates xGCS with Fury UAV - 5/13/2014 -
Flight Global. Retrieved from
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/auvsi-lockheed-integrates-xgcs-with-fury-uav-399069/
Kable
Intelligence Limited. (n.d.). Fury 1500 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle - Airforce
Technology. Retrieved from
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/fury-1500-uav/
Tarantola,
A. (2014, May 16). This Furious High-Flying Drone Can Spy Overhead For 15
Hours. Retrieved from http://gizmodo.com/this-furious-high-flying-drone-can-spy-overhead-for-15-1573344431
UAS
Vision. (2012, September 11). Fury 1500 Tactical UAS Achieves SATCOM Video
Downlink, Delivers Beyond Line of Sight Capability. Retrieved from
http://www.uasvision.com/2012/09/11/fury-1500-tactical-uas-achieves-satcom-video-downlink-delivers-beyond-line-of-sight-capability/
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