China
January-24th-2006, 09:47 AM
WALRUS (http://www.darpa.mil/ucar/programs/walrus.htm)
Overview
The Walrus program will develop and evaluate a very large airlift vehicle concept that is designed to control lift in all stages of air or ground operations including off-loading of payload without taking onboard ballast other than air. Unlike earlier generation airships it will generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics, thrust vectoring and gas buoyancy generation and management and for much of the time, it will fly heavier than air. The program will develop an operational vehicle concept and will conduct risk reduction demonstrations notably including a Walrus Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) air vehicle. The ATD vehicle will demonstrate scalable aircraft technology, is anticipated to achieve comparable C-130 airlift capability, and will explore, develop, and demonstrate the system concepts of operation. The Walrus objective vehicle will have a primary mission to deploy composite loads of personnel and equipment (for example, the components of a Unit of Action) ready to fight as they disembark from the aircraft within 6 hours after landing. Walrus will operate without significant infrastructure and from unimproved landing sites, ostensibly flat but over rough ground to tolerate 5 foot high obstacles. It will carry a useful payload >500 tons over global distances (12,000nm in less than 7 days) at a competitive cost. Additionally, Walrus will be capable of performing theater lift, support of Sea Basing and persistence missions to meet a range of multi-agency needs. Advanced breakthrough technologies will be investigated in the first phase to support the development of lift and buoyancy concepts. The program’s first phase will include system studies and development of a notional concept of the objective vehicle. Based on these studies and concept viability, the competitive second phase will lead to the development of an objective air vehicle design, fabrication and initial flight test of the ATD risk reduction vehicle. The Walrus technology is being coordinated with the Army, Navy, and Air Force for possible transition. Transition to selected organization(s) is planned to occur after FY 2008.
Program Plans
- Define and develop a notional objective air vehicle concept having a payload capability circa 500 tons.
- Establish the feasibility of breakthrough technologies.
- Develop air vehicle design concepts that will validate the objective air vehicle concept.
- Perform conceptual design and trade studies of air vehicle variants for a variety of mission roles, including study of technology risk reduction, architecture, survivability, and vehicle conservation.
- Development of the objective air vehicle design, operating missions and CONOPs.
- Competitive development of potential objective vehicle system concepts and preliminary ATD vehicle design based on selected concept options.
- Selection of the preferred objective air vehicle system design concept and development to preliminary design level review.
- Risk reduction demonstrations in support of the objective vehicle including the key ATD vehicles.
- Complete detailed design of the ATD air vehicle leading to a critical design review.
- Manufacture and fabricate ATD air vehicle.
- Flight test and release to Services for evaluation testing of military utility.
Artist renderings of two proposed designs:
http://www.defensetech.org/images/walrus_HUGE.jpg http://www.defensetech.org/archives/images/ST_28_darpa1_f.jpg
Overview
The Walrus program will develop and evaluate a very large airlift vehicle concept that is designed to control lift in all stages of air or ground operations including off-loading of payload without taking onboard ballast other than air. Unlike earlier generation airships it will generate lift through a combination of aerodynamics, thrust vectoring and gas buoyancy generation and management and for much of the time, it will fly heavier than air. The program will develop an operational vehicle concept and will conduct risk reduction demonstrations notably including a Walrus Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) air vehicle. The ATD vehicle will demonstrate scalable aircraft technology, is anticipated to achieve comparable C-130 airlift capability, and will explore, develop, and demonstrate the system concepts of operation. The Walrus objective vehicle will have a primary mission to deploy composite loads of personnel and equipment (for example, the components of a Unit of Action) ready to fight as they disembark from the aircraft within 6 hours after landing. Walrus will operate without significant infrastructure and from unimproved landing sites, ostensibly flat but over rough ground to tolerate 5 foot high obstacles. It will carry a useful payload >500 tons over global distances (12,000nm in less than 7 days) at a competitive cost. Additionally, Walrus will be capable of performing theater lift, support of Sea Basing and persistence missions to meet a range of multi-agency needs. Advanced breakthrough technologies will be investigated in the first phase to support the development of lift and buoyancy concepts. The program’s first phase will include system studies and development of a notional concept of the objective vehicle. Based on these studies and concept viability, the competitive second phase will lead to the development of an objective air vehicle design, fabrication and initial flight test of the ATD risk reduction vehicle. The Walrus technology is being coordinated with the Army, Navy, and Air Force for possible transition. Transition to selected organization(s) is planned to occur after FY 2008.
Program Plans
- Define and develop a notional objective air vehicle concept having a payload capability circa 500 tons.
- Establish the feasibility of breakthrough technologies.
- Develop air vehicle design concepts that will validate the objective air vehicle concept.
- Perform conceptual design and trade studies of air vehicle variants for a variety of mission roles, including study of technology risk reduction, architecture, survivability, and vehicle conservation.
- Development of the objective air vehicle design, operating missions and CONOPs.
- Competitive development of potential objective vehicle system concepts and preliminary ATD vehicle design based on selected concept options.
- Selection of the preferred objective air vehicle system design concept and development to preliminary design level review.
- Risk reduction demonstrations in support of the objective vehicle including the key ATD vehicles.
- Complete detailed design of the ATD air vehicle leading to a critical design review.
- Manufacture and fabricate ATD air vehicle.
- Flight test and release to Services for evaluation testing of military utility.
Artist renderings of two proposed designs:
http://www.defensetech.org/images/walrus_HUGE.jpg http://www.defensetech.org/archives/images/ST_28_darpa1_f.jpg