Embedded Computing Architectures for Unmanned Rotorcraft

Mission avionics development, acquisition, integration, operation, and maintenance costs make up more than 50% of the unit flyaway costs of the United States Army's most advanced aviation platforms. Custom electronics, rapid obsolescence, and the economies of scale of the commercial electronics industry relative to military electronics drive total ownership costs. Analysis shows that post deployment enhancements and maintenance costs far exceed procurement costs when compared over the life cycle. Total ownership costs can be reduced by employing a system infrastructure that facilitates maintenance, regular periodic upgrades, and reuse of software, hardware, and documentation. Avionics systems employing this type of infrastructure provide variability isolation and supportability using open industry standards for the integration of modular elements into a scaleable, fully interconnected architecture. This paper will present highlights in the development of a common embedded computing architecture for three U.S. Army unmanned rotorcraft.