A comprehensive mission editor.

VCS-4586 allows operators to automate certain vehicle and sensor tasks, thereby allowing them to focus on mission objectives. The following types of missions can be automated:

  • Flight routes (specified as a series of waypoints for vehicle to travel across) 
  • Contingency routes (specified action to be taken in the event of link-loss or other emergency) 
  • Search patterns (specified zone of interest to be systematically searched by sensor) 

Mission editor features include: 

  • Real-time creation and modification of flight/contingency routes and search patterns
  • Point-and-click selection of mission waypoints on map 
  • Manual entry of location coordinates, altitude and speed parameters of mission waypoints A 2-D terrain display to illustrate the position of route mission waypoints relative to terrain profile 
  • Mission validation to indicate terrain violations, airspace constraints and data link coverage outages  

Vehicle management.

VCS-4586 specializes in multiple vehicle control and allowing operators to effectively manage sensor platforms and focus on mission tasks. To facilitate this, VCS-4586 features a high level of autonomous vehicle control. Using the point-and-click user interface, operators can send mission, loiter and other control commands to the vehicle with the software determining and executing the optimal course of action. These actions are executed in a manner that keep the vehicles within their respective operational envelopes. The user-interface is engineered based on human factors considerations that keep the operator fully aware of commanded intentions and vehicle status.

Built-in flight modes.

A number of automatic flight modes commonly used by UAVs are available to the operator: Points Navigation (configurable loiter pattern:
  • circular, racetrack, hover, figure-8) 
  • Mission (vehicle flies pre-planned mission route) 
  • Camera Guide (loiter point determined by sensor stare-point location) 
  • Launch (initiates vehicle specific launch sequence) 
  • Autoland (initiates vehicle specific automatic landing sequence) 
  • Waveoff (initiates vehicle specific behavior in the event of an aborted landing) 

Vehicle specific configurability.

VCS-4586 can dynamically update its user-interface based on STANAG 4586 configuration messages as the operator switches between different vehicles and sensors. Components such as digital readouts and instrumentation specific to those vehicles and sensors appear on the user-interface while unnecessary components are hidden from view. This vehicle specific configurability keeps the interface de-cluttered, organized and relevant, thereby increasing the operator’s overall effectiveness.

Data link management.

VCS-4586 supports omni, line-of-sight (e.g. Tactical Common Data Link (TCDL)) and satellite data links. It allows operators to configure, control and monitor ground data terminals (GDT) and airborne data terminals (ADT) by enabling them to: 

  • Set up data link parameters by initializing and managing data link frequencies, rates and encryption codes 
  • Auto-align data link pedestal antenna azimuth and elevation 
  • Use built-in auto-tracking algorithms to automatically track vehicles by adjusting antenna azimuth and elevation 
  • Determine optimal data link location in operational area