SBIR/STTR Award attributes
BLUF: The Air Commons™ - Blue program aims to develop and field a Deployable Unmanned Traffic Management (D-UTM) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) capability that provides integrated Air Domain Awareness (ADA) for BLUFOR manned and unmanned assets and Counter-small UAS (C-sUAS) operators and Defenders. Air Commons™ – Blue is designed to solve the integration of UTM, AAM, ATM and C-sUAS to provide ADA within a disaster response, main operating base or deployed forward operating base area of responsibility. The main components of the proposed Phase I effort will be the integration of Air Commons™ Deployable UTM with AERONet and ATAK working with the Civil Air Patrol’s (CAP) New York Wing (based out of Syracuse, NY) followed by integration of C-sUAS feeds in conjunction with USAF Security Forces from the 87th SFS (based out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ). Air Commons™ - Blue is designed to address four specific problems faced by USAF end-users: Deployable Unmanned Traffic Management: Unmanned Experts Inc. (UMEX) has completed RDT&E and flight trials on the NASA UTM program and developed Air Commons™, the only deployable unmanned traffic management system under USDA SBIR 2018-33610-28590 (Phase II). This mesh network architecture was designed for integrating unmanned and manned aircraft in the complex airspace over wildland fires and disaster response areas, with limited infrastructure and multi-agency aerial operations in force. Air Commons™ - Blue is a USAF end-user-oriented adaptation of the Air Commons™ architecture. Advanced Air Mobility Integration: Low level autonomous assets (‘Orbs’) operating in complex airspace require Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) or Orb-to-Orb (O2O) communications. A major component of the Air Commons™ program is an IEEE-sponsored V2V testing project additionally funded under AFWERX as the O2O research effort. Similar operating conditions to AAM will apply in the low level deployed and combat airspace environments, thus the Air Commons™ ADA capability being developed under Air Commons™ - Blue is an innovative, defense-related, dual-purpose technology. Networked Situational Awareness (SA): To develop SA or ADA the COTS C2 network known as Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network, or AERONet, is a low-cost capability undergoing initial fielding with the USAF’s CAP. Another ADA system deployed is the Tactical Awareness Kit (TAK) or civilian version Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). This GOTS AFRL licensed software is becoming widely used in public safety and disaster response circles, to include with the CAP. Air Commons™ - Blue will integrate both AERONet and ATAK systems onto a deployable UTM platform and hence increase deployed and networked SA / ADA across the spectrum. Counter-small UAS (C-sUAS) Technical Integration: Air Commons™ - Blue will allow for the positive identification of all ‘good’ UAS on the network and overlay the location and vector of unknowns to rapidly aid in threat calls and counter action.
