The Key to Affordable Unmanned Aircraft Systems
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Cost efficiency and affordability will always be design criteria for the unmanned aircraft system (UAS). There has been much discussion focused on the use of open systems architecture (OSA). One advantage of this approach is to reduce costs. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) encourages the use of OSA through its Better Buying Power 3.0 initiatives. UAS designs based on OSA enable the rapid migration of technology across multiple UAS platforms. Open systems architectures will not solve all of the challenges associated with building UASes, however. Security is another factor that has an effect on affordability. In a UAS, the flight control loop extends from the aircraft through the data link to the ground control station. There is also a data link for any payload information. This distributed control and data transfer system introduce security challenges that are not present in traditional manned aircraft. Vulnerabilities exposed by this distributed architecture must be addressed and resolved to minimize the total lifecycle costs of UAS. The cost-saving benefits inherent in open systems are negated by a single security breach. The higher cost is often associated with commercial software — however, commercial software with proven security certification evidence helps reduce the total cost of a project and protect the value of missions. Both approaches are valid, and both must account for security vulnerabilities before they can deliver true cost savings. This paper provides an overview of the security considerations for unmanned aircraft, along with a summary of security capabilities delivered by Wind River® technologies such as VxWorks®, Wind River Linux, and Wind River Simics®.
CONCLUSION
The selection of system software for affordable UAS development is a business decision, not just a technical analysis. It is possible to see the business case for the use of commercial software based on open architecture systems and open standards. The business case has to assess how the system software addresses the full range of security issues in the UAS lifecycle. Wind River is supplying open standards-based systems with commercial off-the-shelf safety and security evidence. Affordable UAS development can be achieved through the use of commercial off-the-shelf solutions. This approach also allows developers to focus on innovation to give them a competitive advantage. Government organizations deploying next-generation UAS can benefit from this and field more affordable innovative platforms.
by Wind River
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