AUVSI today hosted Day Two of the 2021 Unmanned Systems Defense (USD) Conference with a focus on systems and technologies within the air domain. Attendees heard insights from Christopher C. O’Donnell, Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition; Major Ryan Greenawalt, Future Unmanned Aircraft System Integrator, Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team; and Rear Admiral Brian Corey, Program Executive Officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons. 

Topics included DOD’s acquisition priorities, plans for integration of unmanned systems, and updates about Project Overmatch, Blue UAS, and other initiatives. During their sessions, the officials displayed a consensus on how unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) can be best leveraged to support the warfighter in today’s missions and to prepare to respond to tomorrow’s threats: 
 

1. UAS must be robust in opposition environments. 

Rear Admiral Brian Corey highlighted that with the return of Great Power Competition, the U.S. military must better prepare to address a changing and dynamic threat landscape – a reality that is reflected in Project Overmatch plans. Robust new solutions will need to meet evolving needs, including surviving in less-permissive environments and providing flexibility to manage risk. Specific capabilities that support the needs of future missions include vertical takeoff and landing, ease of transportability, noise reduction, and sense and avoid capabilities. 

DOD recognizes the existing overlap between their unmet needs and the proven capabilities that the commercial industry has to offer; to that end, the Department will continue to solicit expertise and input from the commercial sector on how to research, assess, and rapidly integrate these technologies. 
 

2. UAS must demonstrate joint interoperability and broad capabilities.

Speakers supported a holistic approach to ensure that the U.S. military maintains its competitive advantage and mitigates risk to warfighters. UAS should support joint force interoperability, be multi-mission capable, and seamlessly integrate with other unmanned systems, including the unmanned surface and subsurface vehicles included in the Navy’s Unmanned Campaign Framework. 

To effectively do so, systems should adhere to common standards that are inexpensive to maintain, are easy to train warfighters to use, and have user interfaces that are as simple as those found in everyday consumer-facing technology. The unmanned systems industry can respond to these demands as an opportunity to collaborate toward innovation that benefits all unmanned systems. 
 

3. DOD should prepare to counter future advancements in UAS technology. 

Alongside advancements in aerial systems come new challenges posed by an increasingly crowded airspace, including the need to counter UAS to protect DOD assets. Speakers stressed that the unmanned industry’s help is needed in understanding where C-UAS investments are best spent. 

As the drone industry experiences rapid innovation, DOD is working with other federal entities to mitigate and deter UAS incursions on and around military airspace. The Department is fully in lockstep with the Federal Aviation Administration in supporting Remote ID rules and the development of an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) ecosystem. 
 

4. DOD should leverage partnerships to support UAS integration. 

DOD leaders recognize an opportunity to leverage international allies as force multipliers. By increasing engagement during the concept development phase, DOD and its international partners can expand information-sharing, establish system communication synchronizations, and sustain commonalities that enable rapid response. 

Speakers also recognized that DOD must communicate clearly with domestic stakeholders about the value that long-term, large-scale strategies to adopt and integrate unmanned systems brings to the entire defense apparatus. This includes improving communications with the U.S. Congress to educate members on the importance of authorization and funding for these programs that support DOD’s needs today and prepare us for the future. 

As UAS technology and systems evolve within the defense landscape, AUVSI is committed to supporting industry-government collaboration. AUVSI’s Air Advocacy Committee will continue to foster opportunities for discussions that spur innovation, promote best practices, and support the industry’s forward and upward momentum. 

There’s still time to register for the final day of USD Phase I on April 15th to hear about topics impacting the ground domain, including the Army’s Project Convergence and overall trends in unmanned systems across DOD.