Issue 37 Unmanned Systems Technology April/May 2021 Einride next-gen Pod l Battery technology l Dive Technologies AUV-Kit l UGVs insight l Vanguard EFI/ETC vee twins l Icarus Swarms l Transponders l Sonobot 5 l IDEX 2021 report

96 In another recent UAS-based trial, Germany’s armed forces the Bundeswehr launched a BriteCloud 218 decoy from an Airbus remotely piloted air target system (RPATS) test platform. The trial, which was conducted with support from Airbus, Leonardo and German analysis and testing firm IABG, involved live BriteCloud 218 rounds being ejected from the RPATS during flight. This allowed the UAV to successfully evade missiles equipped with semi-active radar seeker technology. BriteCloud systems use digital radio frequency memory (DRFM) jamming technology to protect host aircraft against radar-guided surface-to-air and air- to-air missiles. It allows the BriteCloud rounds to sense and process incoming radar signals, and send a response that is tailored to that particular radar’s techniques and mode of operation, showing the radar what it would expect to see if it was continuing to successfully track the target. The threat system then continues to track the BriteCloud round, allowing the aircraft to put plenty of distance between itself and the round. Leonardo added that BriteCloud’s DRFM-based technology can be used for other radar-disrupting purposes. For example, in a different form factor and with an onboard power source, it could deliver effective longer term jamming from a UAS. In particular, the company points to Spear-EW, a new electronic warfare version of defence company MBDA’s Spear weapons systems family. It integrates a new, miniaturised DRFM payload from Leonardo, and will act as a stand-in jammer to suppress enemy air defences and thus increase the survivability of friendly aircraft. Lockheed Martin showcased an AI algorithm written for identifying primer defects on aircraft fuselages, to identify where more paint is needed, and discussed with us how the technology intersects with potential UAV applications. Christopher Colaw said, “This technology could be paired with a UAV, without needing to embed the software algorithm onboard. We could stream the images of an aircraft’s exterior from a UAV to our secure computer and then process the imagery with the algorithm. “However, we also are developing an AI algorithm for paint instead of primer. While this was not showcased at IDEX, it would be perfect for use with UAVs such as our Indago 3, because F-35s and C-130s are very large and it could mean doing away with the extensive equipment that typical paint inspections require, such as ladders, scaffolding, safety harnesses and safety spotters.” The company’s AI system can use individual or a stream of images from a camera, fed into a Matlab-developed neural network and displayed on the computer’s screen. If a defect is found, a bounding box is automatically placed on the image around the defect. Resolutions and sizes of defects found depend on the camera April/May 2021 | Unmanned Systems Technology Artist’s impression of the BriteCloud 218 RF decoy system being deployed by a General Atomics MQ-9 UAV