Airborne Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles via Joint Precision Airdrop Systems

Klinkmueller, Kurt; Wieck, Anthony; Holt, Joshua; Valentine, Andrew; Bluman, James E.; Kopeikin, Andrew; Prosser, Ekaterina

Airborne Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles via Joint Precision Airdrop Systems

Date

2019

Authors

Publisher

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to provide a technology demonstration of the aerial delivery of cargo-carrying UAVs. This capability will allow small, high-value payloads to be delivered over the same long distances as the traditional airlift and Joint Precision Airdrop System (JPADS) combination with previously unattainable accuracy. A team of undergraduate students at the United States Military Academy accomplished this goal by designing, building, testing, and demonstrating a scale model of a UAV aerial delivery system. The customer for this product is the Aerial Delivery Directorate at Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center, which will expand the scale model prototype into an operational system. The system leverages the existing technologies of JPADS and GPS-enabled multi-rotors and combines them to create the airdrop method of the future. The operational system will have the capability to deliver a 5-15 lb. payload to within 5 meters of the target location. This will enable effective resupply of individuals or troops in contact, who could pick up an airdrop without having to leave cover.

Keywords

Joint Precision Airdrop System, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Flight Testing, Power System, Multirotor, Electromagnetic Interference, Hover Out of Ground Effect, Military Operations, Military Aircraft, Human In The Loop

Citation

Klinkmueller, Kurt M., Anthony J Wieck, J. K. Holt, Andrew Valentine, James Bluman, Andrew N. Kopeikin and Ekaterina M. Prosser. “Airborne Delivery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles via Joint Precision Airdrop Systems.” AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum (2019): n. pag.