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UCAV-2010 – Technologies for the Development of Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles

DLR-project UCAV-2010

The DLR-project UCAV-2010 aims at providing numerical and experimental procedures for the development and assessment of technologies for Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (abbr. UCAV). Key tasks of the project are the identification of relevant technologies as well as the provision of numerical and experimental procedures for the development of UCAV’s. With the technologies and procedures provided, one is enabled to:

• to evaluate whether a given UCAV-configuration satisfies the requirements of a mission
• to design UCAV-configurations on the basis of mission constraints
• to enhance and improve UCAV-relevant technologies
• to devise enhanced methods for the UCAV-design and the application of UCAV-specific technologies

Specifications and forecasts from the industry for defence technology are the basis for the project. Some of the major prognoses and specifications are:

• possible air force demand for UCAV’s from 2020
• estimated development time: 8-10 years
• intended use: airborne and onshore combat of mobile targets
• maximum survivability through:
  • high manoeuvrability (higher load factors compared to manned aircrafts)
  • passive counteractive measures (minimal signatures for radar / infrared / acoustics)

Prototypes resulting either from experiments or from the pre-design phase and the detailed design phase may be used to demonstrate the use of UCAV-relevant technologies. Thus, one objective of the project is to develop an integrated, multi-disciplinary prototype of an unmanned combat air vehicle that contains various optimised technologies. This prototype will be tested and evaluated through a virtual flight.

Overall, the objectives aim to devise enhanced technologies for the development of unmanned combat air vehicles, "best practice" methods for the pre-design phase and the detailed design phase as well as the provision of software for multi-disciplinary computation of high-order methods.

DLR Simulation and Software Technology tasks

Within the main work package "Integrationssoftware" (German software for integration) DLR Simulation and Software Technology provides, maintains and enhances the software from the previous projects TIVA and SikMa. Interfaces are being developed to integrate technology-specific calculation methods. Furthermore, an expert system for numerical methods will be designed and adapted to the needs specified by UCAV-2010. This system for “best practice”-procedures manages data such as publications, technical information, validation data, policies, and further helpful material with respect to numerical methods.

Project partner

• Institute of Aerodynamics and Flow Technology
• Institute of Aeroelasticity
• Institute of Propulsion Technology
• Institute of Flight Systems
• Microwaves and Radar Institute
• Simulation and Software Technology
• Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics
• Remote Sensing Technology Institute

Information

Project UCAV-2010

Project runtime

01.01.2007 - 31.12.2010