In-situ Atmospheric Intelligence for Hybrid Power Grids: Volume 2 (Automated Data Flow Tests)

To achieve battlespace dominance, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed to adapt and exploit the variable operating conditions.

Army Research Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico

The future battlefield will be filled with multiple dissimilar energy networks including unmanned and manned vehicular platforms actively engaged in cooperative control and communications capable of overpowering an adversary and dominating the battlespace. This chaotic multi-domain operational environment will be limited by variable operating conditions (mission profiles, terrain, atmospheric conditions), copious amounts of real-time actionable intelligence derived from weapon and sensor suites, and most importantly, the energy capabilities of each platform.

To achieve dominance within the battlespace, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed with respect to the variable operating conditions. As an example, consider the power-requirement differences between the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (an unmanned aerial vehicle), the Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle, and the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vessel (an unmanned sea vehicle). The predator is designed to provide air superiority, support fires, maneuvers, communication, and coordination-based missions. The Gladiator supports fires, maneuvers, communication, and coordination-based missions. The mine counter-measures vessel is designed to assist with maneuver and coordination-based missions and could be extended to support fire-based missions. Current and future military operations will routinely coordinate with multiple dissimilar heterogeneous systems spanning multiple domains resulting in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).