UAV, Surface Drone Perform Sensor-to-Shooter Co-ordination in U.S. Navy Exercise

The U.S. Navy recently utilized the Aerosonde Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) and the Common Uncrewed Surface Vehicle (CUSV) to execute a full detect-to-engage sensor-to-shooter mission exercise.

Notably, the CUSV executed the first-ever live-fire engagement using a small USV integrated with a missile system.

This took place when the Navy’s Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants orchestrated a multi-domain fast in-shore attack craft (FIAC) exercise involving 15 collaborators from the Department of Defense and industry. Control of both the Aerosonde and CUSV systems was managed by the U.S. Navy’s Common Control System utilizing the Mission Package Portable Control Station (MPPCS), which facilitated communication links, including both line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight capabilities.

Over the course of the exercise, the Aerosonde Hybrid Quad (HQ) system accumulated more than 16 hours of flight time, delivering intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data to the CUSV system. Equipped with the LIG Nex1 Poniard missile system, the CUSV demonstrated its capability to utilize UAS data for tactical decision-making and target engagement.

This exercise highlighted the potential of uncrewed-uncrewed teaming to enhance mission coordination, safety, and risk mitigation for future Navy operations.