Magnetic Noise Reduction in a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Topic No.: N121-006 Topic Title: Magnetic Noise Reduction in a Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Proposal No.: N121-006-0460 Firm: Arete Associates P.O. Box 2607 Winnetka, California 91396-2607 Contact: Paul Carter Phone: (818) 885-2263 Web Site: www.arete.com Abstract: The U.S. Navy has a pressing need to develop a new antisubmarine warfare (ASW) approach for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft, which is to replace the aging P-3C Orion fleet. Unlike the P-3C, the P-8A will not carry magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) equipment aboard the aircraft. To execute its ASW mission successfully, the P-8A must replace the detection and localization capability offered by traditional MAD. One approach is provided by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with MAD sensors. The development of compact total field magnetometers as well as air-launched Tier 1 and Tier 2 aircraft have made this approach a robust, affordable option for high altitude ASW. Still, magnetic detection from a UAV faces serious challenges. The most significant is platform noise, which is much greater in amplitude and more complex than that encountered aboard large manned aircraft such as the P-3C. Platform noise greatly dominates typical MAD signals if left uncompensated, rendering the UAV useless as a MAD platform. Arete successfully developed and tested an adaptive magnetic platform noise reduction system for small UAVs. Under this SBIR program, we will tailor these techniques to aircraft designed specifically for the P-8A and demonstrate performance in ground and flight tests. Benefits: The magnetic noise reduction technology developed under this SBIR would allow Arete to transition key elements to meet growing market demand for smaller unmanned platforms that require inboard magnetic sensor deployment. ONR's UTAS FNC will provide the resources to demonstrate the Arete technology aboard Tier 1 and/or Tier 2 vehicles for operational demonstration in early 2016. While the U.S. Navy will accrue obvious benefit in improving submarine and buried littoral target detection, the Army also stands to gain from greater capability to mass swarms of small UAVs against IEDs and buried land mines. The Air Force and intelligence agencies could similarly benefit in their ability to detect underground facilities and buried weapons of mass destruction. Return