May 10, 2022, Indianapolis, IN — Pierce Aerospace announced that they deployed three instances of their Flight Portal ID Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Remote ID services at the US Army’s Maneuver and Fires Integration Experiment (MFIX) experiment at Fort Sill, OK and Defense in Depth Experiment (DiDEX) experiment at Austin, TX. The deployments included two unclasified Flight Portal ID networks and one classified Flight Portal ID network. The unclassified deployments at Fort Sill and Austin were linked together with Remote ID messages from both locations simultaneously published across three US Department of Defense common operating pictures, enabling participants to monitor FPID equipped aircraft in both downtown Austin and Fort Sill.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team as this was our most sophisticated deployment of Remote ID to date,” said Aaron Pierce, CEO of Pierce Aerospace. “The team utilized our Flight Portal ID services to push a data stream of Remote ID broadcasts from multiple UAS to the US Army’s Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2), a US Army Tactical Assault Kit (TAK) Server, and the US Air Force’s COPERS common operational picture. In this experiment our team provided Remote ID situational awareness across geographically separated environments at the command level and at the dismounted level to soldiers on patrol via their individual Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) equipped mobile devices.”
In addition to FAAD C2, TAK, and COPERS integration, Pierce Aerospace conducted integrations with multiple counter UAS (C-UAS) vendors and UAS OEMS on site at the experiments.
Image 1: InstantEye MK3GEN4 HL was used during MFIX to demonstrate the Flight Portal ID Remote ID capability and has the potential for future full integration.
“As a Remote ID service provider, we are thrilled with the opportunity to conduct initial field integration with multiple C-UAS vendors and provide them a means to positively identify Remote ID equipped UAS in the dense urban environment of Austin, TX,” said Pierce. “We have seen first-hand how valuable a C-UAS system equipped with Remote ID services can be and we look forward to continued collaboration to enhance partner capabilities with our complementary identification services that aid in target discrimination.”
“Soldiers were able to use our Remote ID plugin for ATAK to positively identify and track UAS that were equipped with our FPID Broadcast Modules,” said Pierce. “Ongoing integration with UAS OEMs is a clear value add in both defense and civil airspace applications that will soon require Remote ID to meet upcoming FAA regulatory requirements.”
The DiDEX environment facilitates a collaborative working relationship between academia, Government, and industry and supports identification, assessment, and dissemination of emerging and mature technology information and the acceleration of delivering capabilities to R&D organizations and those they support. The collaborative environment creates opportunities to make systems more operationally versatile and adaptable and capable of increased capacity for meeting tailored mission requirements.
MFIX provides a unique venue to assess emerging capabilities at brigade and below to provide Air and Missile Defense (AMD) and indirect fires. The focus for AMD includes C-UAS as well as emerging capabilities in detection and fire control. The emphasis for indirect fires includes target acquisition, fire control mission command, and munition delivery. MFIX is a live, prototype experimentation campaign supported by military, government, industry, and academic partners informing Fires concepts and requirements for the United States Army.
MFIX assesses and demonstrates overmatch capabilities over adversaries and accelerates investments on future capabilities in support of modernization priorities, of the Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) Army of 2030, and the Army of 2040.
“Soldiers exposed to FPID at MFIX noted that it assisted in expediting the identification of friendly UAS via a lightweight beacon attached to the aircraft,” said Michael Spears, Deputy Experimentation and Wargaming, Fires Battle Lab. “Soldiers also stressed that this capability will prevent and reduce UAS fratricide.”
Pierce continued, “Our team is appreciative of the DiDEX and MFIX teams and their willingness to work with us to network our Remote ID solutions between both events. We look forward to continuing the advancement of Remote ID prototypes and further integration with industry partners in the C-UAS, C2, UAS OEM, and commercial traffic management realms.”
Image 2: Pierce Aerospace’s Flight Portal ID Receiver (Bluebird model) is pictured operating in cold temperatures with frost and under its own power while at MFIX.
About Pierce Aerospace:
Pierce Aerospace, a Techstars-backed company, is a Remote ID service provider focused on practical and robust integration of Remote ID services into the UAS ecosystem. Pierce Aerospace serves on the Drone Safety Team, ASTM F38 Committee on Unmanned Aircraft Systems, and the FAA’s Remote ID Cohort as an industry leader. Funds from the US Air Force and the State of Indiana support Pierce Aerospace’s Remote ID technology - previously nominated as Indiana’s Innovation of the Year by Techpoint and awarded first place in Remote ID technology at AUVSI’s Xcellence Awards. Pierce Aerospace is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, The Racing Capital of the World. Visit www.pierceaerospace.net.
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