REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (Date) -- Thanks to the forward-thinking expertise of the Apache Project Office and the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center (RTC), the future of safe flight and more effective mission completion is being implemented with the use of Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUMT).
MUMT is a 21st-century capability currently in use by the Apache Project Office, which enables pilots to stream real-time video obtained from Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), such as the Shadow or Gray Eagle. The expansion and implementation of this technology throughout the force, in both aviation and ground forces, has provided aircrew members and support teams with enhanced situational awareness.
"As these systems evolve, the test community needs to keep up with the ever-changing environment as we work to test and field these capabilities," said Steve Nine, chief of RTC's Subsystem Test Division.
There existed a real need to better understand the video streaming environment. That's why the Apache Project Office turned to the local experts at RTC for their proficiency in developing such a test solution.
"RTC's broad range of competencies and in-depth knowledge of both airborne and ground assets were critical to designing the needed asset," said Nine. "The result of RTC's effort is the Apache Manned-Unmanned Diagnostics Tool (AMDT)."
So what is an AMDT?
At the heart of the AMDT is a video stream analyzer that monitors the video data coming from both the Apache and UAS aircraft. The analyzer allows the AMDT crew to monitor the video feeds real-time and provide feedback to the aircrews, UAS ground station crews, and the test teams when problems arise.
"The AMDT is like a mobile "Youtube" which allows us to receive and send both Apache and UAS video data," said Ben Hall who works with RTC Special Projects. "This creates the opportunity to capture and playback video to both the Apache and/or UAS adding increased test capability."
The AMDT is a valuable asset that will be used during future training and testing of MUMT systems, which will save the Army money by reducing troubleshooting time and ensuring efficiency and situational awareness during testing.
RTC is a subordinate command of the U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command and provides technical expertise, state-of-the-art facilities, and capabilities to plan, conduct, analyze, and report the results of tests on missile and aviation systems, sensors, subsystems and components.
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