Advanced Ship/Fixed-wing UAV Recovery Interface

The Leaning Airbeam Shipboard Arrestment System (LASARST) is a radically different type of UAV recovery system for shipboard and unprepared land based operations. Although LASARST can also be used with LPD class vessels and small land based recovery areas,it is designed specifically for those vessels that have too small a deck area to capture the UAV in the `conventional' or current method (i.e. SPARS). Where it differs radically from the present system is that it provides a much greater area of capturewith a greatly reduced footprint from the present SPARS and is automatically self deploying. Therefore it can be mounted on much smaller vessels and can yet capture UAVs that at present are not considered possible solutions to Naval and Marine Operations.LASARS can open up UAV operations to vessels such as DDG Class Guided Missile Destroyers (66ft Beam width) and FFG Class Frigates (45ft Beam width) which presently have insufficient beam width at the aft end for SPARS recovery of a 450-500lb UAV landing atspeeds up to 70mph. At the completion of Phase I, airBeams LLC will have a preliminary system design and model completed of a conceptual LASARSTM. In Phase II airBeams LLC will refine the design and model to a point where it can be utilized as the basisfor a model LASARST for testing. The prime commercialization prospect is the UAV user community (DOD, DEA, INS, Department of Homeland Security, etc.) in particular the US DOD. UAVs are now being used for many civilian applications from photography toseismic soundings for oil companies. Most usually, the latter in particular, operate with small drones from rough territory or from the sea and they do not have the luxury of LPD Class vessels on which to land the UAV. The potential commercial market willexpand considerably as the sophistication and reliability of the UAVs is improved because of the military requirements. This will drive down costs, increasing the potential market for LASARST.