Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) mission management for maritime surveillance

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This program is a multiple year, multiple partnership effort geared towards increasing Canada's monitoring capacity over the Atlantic coast. The Remote Aerial Vehicle for ENvironmental-monitoring (RAVEN)group at Memorial University of Newfoundland will work together with industrial partner Provincial Aerospace Limited (PAL), public partners National Research Council (NRC) and Defence Research Development Canada (DRDC) and academic partner Carleton University to develop a mission management system for maritime surveillance using an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform.   A fully developed UAV technology is a safe, reliable and cost-effective supplement to the current aerial offshore monitoring program which has been and currently is the responsibility of Provincial Aerospace Limited (PAL). PAL has been charged with ensuring the surveillance of the Canadian Maritimes via manned flights since 1986. The end-product of the research program will be a ground-based mission control station for effective operation of UAVs in Canada's unique and harsh coastal environment. Research efforts will focus on innovative technologies for maritime Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, and will contribute directly to safety, security, national sovereignty and environmental protection through increased monitoring capacity of both domestic and foreign activities in Canadian waters.   Expertise and resources at two NRC labs: Institute for Aerospace Research and Institute for Ocean Technology will be called upon to assist and contribute throughout the development of this project. It is anticipated that this multi-agency effort which stretches from Ottawa to St. John's will bolster civilian application of UAV technology and enhance PAL's offshore monitoring capabilities.