LCAAPS: Aiming to Streamline the Design, Development Process

Watch this video to learn more about Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS), which leverages best practices of consumer industries to rapidly develop and build autonomous collaborative platforms in large numbers.

Transcript

00:00:14 in an era of rapidly changing military threats and Global change the ability to quickly respond with the right capabilities is Paramount the Air Force research laboratory is responding by revolutionizing aerial Warfare with its lowcost ATT triable aircraft platform sharing or lcap design and build approach for autonomous collaborative platforms currently our forces rely on a

00:00:36 small number of high value capabilities to operate in high threat environments but this approach has its limitations to overcome these challenges the Air Force must augment its high-end platforms with larger numbers of inexpensive tailored roll uncrewed systems providing affordable but credible Mass the lcaps program is part of a new approach to acquisition of Weapons Systems aimed at

00:00:59 providing the US forces with large numbers of rapidly developed lowcost autonomous collaborative platforms achieving larger numbers by streamlining the design and development process in the past unique capabilities were developed independently leading to higher costs and longer production timelines but now inspired by the automotive industry's best design and

00:01:20 Manufacturing practices lcaps is developing multiple uncrewed aerial systems species from a base platform applying a modular open system architecture approach it is comparable to the genus and species taxonomies used in biology there's a core structure in a set of flight critical subsystems or a Genus platform that can be shared and used as the foundation of various

00:01:42 autonomous collaborative platforms or species each with unique capabilities the genus platform enables faster and cheaper production and the flexibility to incorporate new technologies as they emerge using a base platform performance and feature updates can be developed and fielded quickly and affordably ensuring combat and Commander can respond effectively to rapidly evolving threats

00:02:03 the a4l lcaps program marks a fundamental transformation in the way the department of the Air Force does business providing our forces with responsive rapid and lowcost capabilities to overcome our adversaries