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Introduction
Commercial drone technology has witnessed significant advancements, expanding its applicability in both civil and military missions. As drones play increasingly crucial roles in military operations, adversaries are exploring ways to disrupt communication links between drone operators and their aerial vehicles through electromagnetic countermeasures. These disruptions can compel drones to abort their missions, return to base, or even crash. To counter these challenges, DARPA’s Rapid Experimental Missionized Autonomy (REMA) program has been initiated with a mission to enable drones to autonomously continue their pre-defined missions even when disconnected from operators.
Drone technology has significantly influenced modern warfare, with recent conflicts highlighting the widespread use of drones and the development of counter-drone measures such as Israel’s Iron Dome and Iron Beam systems. Despite technological advancements, military-grade drones have traditionally relied on human operators. However, DARPA’s REMA program seeks to advance autonomous drone capabilities, allowing drones to continue their missions despite disruptions in communication. The program aims to counteract adversaries’ electromagnetic countermeasures and ensure mission completion through autonomous functionalities.
Empowering Autonomous Drones
The REMA program’s primary objective is to empower drones with the capability to operate autonomously when the connection to the operator is lost. To achieve this, the program focuses on developing a subsystem that can enable the autonomous operation of a wide range of commercially available small drones, without being limited to a specific drone model or design. Additionally, the program aims to create mission-specific autonomy software through rapid, monthly spirals of development.
Drone Autonomy Adapter Interface
REMA’s 18-month, single-phase program is structured around two core technical areas. The first area involves designing a drone-autonomy adapter interface. This interface will possess the unique ability to recognize the type of drone it is connected to and adjust operational parameters accordingly. This adaptability allows the drone to receive mission-specific autonomy software, enhancing its operational efficiency.
Mission-Specific Autonomy Software
The second area focuses on mission-specific autonomy software that can run on the autonomy adapter. This software will be developed in cycles, starting with three-month intervals and eventually accelerating to one-month intervals. These regular updates will provide new and improved autonomy capabilities, ensuring that the drone can adapt swiftly to changing mission requirements.
Program Vision:
The REMA program’s core vision is to rapidly advance the capabilities of remotely operated group 1-3 commercial and military drones, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in various missions. To achieve this vision, the program outlines several primary objectives:
a) Building a Drone Autonomy Adapter (DA2): The DA2 will serve as an interface for drones, detecting their type and facilitating the use of separately developed autonomy capabilities. This adaptable solution may comprise both hardware and software components, as needed to support government-specified drones and the autonomy software’s requirements.
b) Developing Mission-Specific Autonomy Software (MAS): The MAS will empower drones to transition from remote piloting to autonomous mission execution using the DA2 interface.
c) Rapid Software Development: The program emphasizes the use of agile software development practices, commencing with three-month spirals and accelerating to one-month spirals. This approach ensures the continuous enhancement of autonomy capabilities.
d) Government-Maintained Cloud Environment: A secure cloud environment will provide a common platform for software development and facilitate smooth transitions to end-users.
To realize these objectives, the REMA program comprises two distinct but interconnected Technical Areas (TAs):
Technical Area 1 (TA1): The DA2 interface will support government-specified drones, allowing for both hardware and software solutions to ensure compatibility with a wide range of drones. The DA2 detects drone types, adjusts operational parameters, and provides vital data channels and onboard feeds.
Technical Area 2 (TA2): This section focuses on mission-specific autonomy software that runs on the DA2 from TA1. The software will undergo development cycles, starting at three-month intervals and progressing to one-month intervals, continually enhancing autonomy capabilities to support government-defined drone missions.
Collaboration between TA1 and TA2 performers is integral to ensure software compatibility. The program anticipates that all TA2 performers will develop software compatible with products from TA1 performers. An interface control group, chaired by a government representative and comprising representatives from all performers, will govern the TA1/TA2 software interface structure.
All software developed by REMA performers will be securely uploaded to the government’s cloud environment, enabling testing, evaluation, and distribution. The Government will provide feedback based on testing outcomes and identify desired new mission-specific capabilities for each development spiral.
The REMA program’s planned and potential spiral challenges encompass various mission scenarios, such as continued reconnaissance under jamming, autonomous navigation, automapping of ground features, and adversary distraction strategies. These challenges aim to validate and improve the autonomy capabilities of the DA2/MAS subsystem.
Implementation of the subsystem onto current stock drone platforms is a pivotal aspect of the program. TA1 performers must deliver a method of implementation or transfer to drones’ hardware, allowing interaction with various drone platforms in their unaltered state. The program seeks to use group 1 quad or fixed-wing platforms for the challenges and will provide platform models and specified platforms at each spiral, ranging from group 1 to group 3 and originating from diverse countries.
Awards
Contracts for the drone-autonomy adapter interface technical area have been awarded to Anduril and RTX. Contracts for the mission-specific autonomy software technical area have been awarded to Leidos, Northrop Grumman, and SoarTech. Anduril and RTX will develop the DA2 interface for use by group 1 to 3 stock commercial and military unmanned systems.
The first development cycle, or “spiral challenge,” started in December 2023, is focused on developing platforms with agnostic autonomy features. The performers are expected to demonstrate a full working solution to the first challenge in March 2024. Leidos, Northrop Grumman and SoarTech will create MAS to upgrade drones from remotely piloted operation to autonomous mission execution using the DA2 interface.
Dr. Lael Rudd, REMA’s program manager, emphasized the collaborative effort among the contracted companies, which are working together to create common solutions for the program’s goals. “The REMA program is focused on creating autonomous solutions that enhance the effectiveness of stock commercial and small military drones on the battlefield,” Rudd said. This collaborative effort aims to develop an autonomy adapter that allows for easy mission updates, providing drone operators with a significant advantage in rapidly evolving combat scenarios.
The REMA program’s first development cycle, known as the “spiral challenge,” began in December 2023 with the aim of developing platforms featuring agnostic autonomy features. The participating companies are expected to demonstrate a fully operational solution to this initial challenge by March 2024.
What This Means for the Future of Military Drones
This initial phase paves the way for a future where military drone capabilities can be rapidly scaled and adapted. Here’s what REMA potentially brings to the table:
- Faster Development Cycles: New drone functionalities can be developed as software modules, bypassing the need for entirely new hardware designs.
- Reduced Costs: Leveraging commercially available drones brings down the overall cost of fielding drone technology.
- Enhanced Flexibility: Military units can tailor drone capabilities based on mission requirements, swapping out autonomy modules as needed.
Resilience in a Fast-Paced World
As the world of commercial drone technology evolves rapidly, the emphasis on resilience to electromagnetic interferences is growing. Small aerial vehicles have become increasingly significant in military operations, prompting adversaries to deploy electromagnetic countermeasures. REMA’s innovative approach aims to provide drone operators with a critical advantage in high-intensity warfare scenarios by ensuring drones can maintain their mission paths even in the face of connectivity challenges. The essence of the REMA program lies in speed, both in technological advancements and in military response, ensuring that the drone remains a robust and reliable asset in various missions.
Challenges and the Road Ahead
While REMA holds immense promise, there are challenges to overcome. Standardizing the interface and ensuring seamless interoperability across different platforms is crucial. Additionally, integrating military-grade security protocols into commercially designed drones will be a key focus.
REMA’s success hinges on its ability to bridge the gap between the commercial and military drone worlds. If achieved, it could revolutionize how armed forces leverage drone technology, ushering in a new era of adaptable and cost-effective unmanned aerial warfare capabilities.
