DARPA Upgrades, Arms Small Drones

by Kris Osborn

For small drones able to converge previously disparate radar, electronic warfare and communications functions into an integrated, flexible architecture.

The effort, called the CONverged Collaborative Elements for RF Task Operations (CONCERTO), streamlines small drone mission capability by allowing a single platform to perform a range of functions more efficiently, developers explained.

DARPA recently awarded BAE Systems a deal to collaborate on the effort, a technology initiative designed to change the paradigm for how small drones operate in combat scenarios.

At the moment, Soldiers and Marines need to send up multiple drones in order to perform numerous mission sets such as electronic warfare, ISR or radar; CONCERTO uses integrated antennas, circuitry, software and hardware to enable a single drone to quickly switch from one payload function to another.

“These single-function payloads can’t be installed on a compact UAS at the same time because of the size, weight, and power constraints of these platforms, limiting what they can do without swapping payloads on the ground — a process that seriously hinders mission efficiency,” a BAE Systems official said.

DARPA’s solicitation for development of CONCERTO explains this, stating that multi-function missions require integration and control of separate, discrete systems, either on a single larger platform or many smaller ones.

“These systems typically use dedicated apertures, are realized with tightly coupled hardware and software, and are not well-coordinated in their use of spectrum,” the DARPA solicitation states.