Manned-Unmanned Teaming Challenges in the Maritime Environment

Abstract

When properly implemented, Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) allows for an optimized blending of high-value, manned airborne vehicles with expendable, relatively inexpensive unmanned resources within a coordinated mission. This enables human operators and crew to focus on the most sensitive and complex mission tasks, while limiting their usage and exposure to dangerous environments. The sensor and communication capabilities of even simple unmanned vehicles can enhance the situational awareness and reach of manned vehicle crews; however, controlling, monitoring, and avoiding collisions with these additional vehicles can also quickly increase crew workload in an already overtaxed environment. This paper discusses the challenges associated with bringing MUM-T operations into the maritime environment and offers suggestions for modifications to the teaming structure, operations, and equipment in this setting. The experimental setup and results from the German Army Aviation's MUM-T program1 are compared to maritime requirements and available assets, based on interviews with professional maritime test pilots and relevant operator publications. Expected roles for UAVs in maritime MUM-T operations would include intelligence-gathering, BLOS target designating, and relaying communications. Results of prior research and testing suggest that maritime crews will see little benefit today from MUM-T operations, given their current capabilities and technologies. More sophisticated displays for manned assets, advanced autonomy and robustness for unmanned assets, modified CONOPS, and improved long-range communication methods would be necessary for proper resource management in maritime missions. In particular, teams should require task-based UAV control, weather-proofed and reliable autonomous vehicles, and TLD datalink systems (such as Link 16).