PROJECT AQUILINE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STUDY 23 AUGUST 1967

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Aquiline
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03055186
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 26
• Document Creation Date: July 16, 2020
• Document Release Date: July 30, 2020
• Publication Date: August 23, 1967

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PROJECT AQUILINE
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STUDY
23 August 1967
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Nature and Purpose of the Study
II History
A.
B.
C.
III Program
A.
B.
C.
D.
IV' Program
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Program Initiation
Program Concept
FY 1967 Development Program
Objectives
Overall Objective
FY 1968 Goals
FY 1969 Goals
Ultimate Goals
Plan
Approach
Development Plan
� Flight Tests
Summary of Development Concept
Management and Funding
V Operational Development
4
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
Figure
'Figure
Figure
I.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Mark I
lAark I Inboard Profile
Development Plan .
AQUILINE Budget Work Sheet
Program Objectives FY 1967
AQUILINE Budget FY 1967
AQUILINE Program Objectives
System Program Plan (Douglas)
Summary of Projected Costs
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PROJECT AQUILINE
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT STUDY
Nature and Purpose of the Study.
This study has been prepared in response to a request by
the Bureau of the Budget for the background, the history of the
development and operational concepts of this important project
area. The vehicle development and associated component subsystems
have been organized into the total project concept under the
AQUILINE cryptonym.
Project AQUILINE was initiated in response to intelligence
requirements which would only be satisfied by unmanned recon-
naissance systems. The need for a new level of capability en-
compassed not ,2nly photographic missions but also required the
emplacement of collection payloads hundreds of miles into denied
areas. The system concept incorporates the use of the most
advanced microtechnology, e.g., microelectronics, microminiature
sensors and power sources, sophisticated communications and control
;systems.
This study is organized into four major sections. The
first presents a history of the program up through fiscal year
1967 including a description of the intelligence collection
potential. The second section outlines the planned development
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program for fiscal year 1968 and fiscal year 1969. Section
III presents a detailed description of the basic technology
involved in the development cycle and a summary of the develop-
ment concept. The final section presents several operational
concepts and estimates program timing and costs.
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II History.
A. Program Initiation.
For the past four years, DD/S&T/ORD has been considering
advanced concepts by which "black box" sensors could be emplaced
at strategic targets in China, Russia, North Vietnam, and other
denied areas. These emplaced "black boxes" would collect a
variety of ELINT, COMINT, SIGINT air sampling and other technical
intelligence. The information would be stored for later read
out via radio to overflight aircraft or relay satellites. A
major difficulty in the emplacement concept has been the need
for the "mother ship" to execute the penetration and drop at a
high altitude in order to avoid detection and/or interception.
Black box payloads designed for emplacement in this manner tended
to be :large and heavy -- a few hundred pounds not being unusual.
Discussions by ORD with other offices within the Agency
(OSA, OSP, FMSAC, OSI, OEL, and other potential users within the
clandestine services) gave substance to the developing AQUILINE
concept. It was agreed that low altitude drops of small, light-
weight, low power solid state sensors would have a high
probability of surviving the emplacement. Indeed, the same
qualities could decrease the probability of detection of the
black box once emplaced.
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Solid state and microminiaturization technologies had
progressed by 1965 to the point where these black boxes could
be developed. A low flying emplacement vehicle capable of
long range surreptitious penetration was in its genesis in the
Office of Research and Development.
B. Program Concept.
�During this period ORD, internally and through conceptual
studies conducted by the Naval Ordnance Test Station (NOTS),
Douglas Aircraft Company, and others, was defining and develop-
ing the concept of a very small bird-like emplacement system
(see Figures 1 �and 2). Mission analyses and cost-effectiveness
studies. indicated that this approach had great promise in
meeting the requirements of the advanced penetration system
sought by the Agency. The studies produced a completely new
concept in collection platforms. Conceptually, the platform
could exist for long periods of time in target areas and would
be practically undetectable. Even if detected, it would be ex-
pensive and difficult to defend against. Its low altitude and
low speed characteristics added to a long loiter time capability
would permit detailed examination of the target areas and permit
a wide-variety of intelligence missions. Further, its small
size and innocuous nature would make it more politically palatable
in tense situations than conventional aircraft. It would be
unmanned, smaller, and cheaper, and, therefore, expendable on
'Cc
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special missions. Because of these characteristics, it would
be deployable against targets not accessible by any means at
the present time. It would be long-range insurance against the
loss of current vehicle assets, which will devaluate with time
due to improved enemy defenses and the loss of foreign real estate.
In an early stage of development, it could complement existing
high altitude systems by providing more detailed examination of
selected targets -- especially under cloud cover.
Concentrated study was performed on a wide range of aero-
dynamic lift devices including balloons, ballistic glider,
powered glider and helicopter types for this application. The
powered glider was selected because of the following consider-
ations:
1. Vehicle. A small aerodynamically clean
vehicle can be produced which will contain the miniature
payloads and subsystems required for the missions
contemp16.ted.
2. Propulsion. A variety of propulsion systems
such as two-cycle engines, four-cycle engines, fuel
cell and radioisotope powered systems, are practicable
for propelling the vehicle thousands of miles.
3. Observability. Tests of mock-up models
demonstrate that such a vehicle and its subsystems
'SE
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could have low enough observability (visual, acoustic,
radar and IR) to immerse itself in the indigenous
signal environment of the target area, loitering
unobtrusively while performing its mission.
4. Guidance and Navigation. Several guidance
and navigation systems such as CHECKROTE, radio direction
finding, transit satellites and Loran or Omega could
direct this vehicle to within a few miles of the distant
target.
5. TV Eye. A subminiature TV Eye is practical,
both in the visible and IR, to assist in guidance and
navigation as well as perform surveillance duties.
6., Communications Link. Secure communications
for data transmission and vehicle control are achievable
at line-of-sight ranges and feasible over the longer
ranges by using relays such as a small vehicle of the
same type, satellites or CHECKROTE.
7. *Payloads. Photographic, IR, ELINT, audio,
air sampling, and droppable black box payloads being
developed by various ORD divisions point up the
diversified potential of the system.
S. Mobility and Flexibility. Because of its size,
weight, and speed, the vehicle can be launched from a
small boat or aircraft, or a simple portable launcher.
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9.
Range. The range of the IOC version will be
; however, four-cycle internal combustion
engines or fuel cells will provide ranges to thousands
of miles. Radioisotope engine versions would have un-
limited range (30-day flight duration -- 36,000 mi.).
10. Operations Research. Computer programs for
vehicle configuration, systems integration, systems
vulnerability and mission analysis have all been studied
and can be developed further to insure the effectiveness
of operational systems. Eventually this could be done
in the IPRD facility of ORD.
C. FY 1967 Development Program.
During the fiscal year 1967, development of an emplacement/
collection system configured as a small powered glider (AQUILINE)
began with a budget of
dollars. During the year, the
development concept of the AQUILINE system was refined and im-
proved with:
1. The initiation of an IOC* prototype develop-
ment program.
2. The continuation of advanced system studies
by Douglas Aircraft (System Contractor).
3. Institution of development programs in the
subsystem areas of aerodynamics, propulsion, navigation,
*IOC - Initial Operational Capability. This term is used
to designate the first generation vehicle and associated
subsystem.
.SF
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communications, antennas, survivability studies, in-
telligence collecting payloads, and ground control
equipment.
A flight test range was established and instrumented to
allow flight tests of the airframe, its subsystems, as well as
developing payloads. The flight of the fully instrumented IOC
system is scheduled for October 1967. This system will include
remotely controlled autopilot, navigation and communications
equipment (including a slow-scan TV camera and associated radio
transmitter) and will be equipped to carry test payloads up to
five pounds to a range of
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;
III Program Objectives.
A. Overall Objective.
The AQUILINE development program has been designed to
provide an evolutionary series of aerial collection systems
capabilities. The program will require advancements in the
state-of-the-art in the areas of aerodynamics, propulsion, navi-
gation, communication and payload instrumentation. A major
goal is for the program to provide the capability of defining
the optimum collection syste available from the development
program at any time which may be used against specific intelli-
gence targets to satisfy specific requirements. (Figure 3 --
Development Plan.) A more detailed description of this
aspect of the program is contained in Section IV below.
By late fiscal year 1968, the Initial Operational Vehicle
will 17)e capable of flying
missions at altitudes up to
10,000 feet, carrying a payload of five pounds. The system will
have achieved prototype hardware capable of positioning and
controlling the vehicle to within a CEP of 70 feet at distances
to
These capabilities are sufficient to perform
intelligence collection missions against typical peripheral
targets in China, Cuba, and the USSR. When interrogated, the
AQUILINE computers will be capable of supplying the detail design
information on a specific embodiment of the IOC prototype which
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would be optimized to these objectives. In addition, the com-
puter will calculate the probability of success for the mission.
B. FY 1968 Goals.
During fiscal year 1968, an Advanced Operational Capability
(AOC) will be researched. This program will consider four-cycle
internal combustion engine designs, advanced subsystem elements,
and payload instrumentation resulting from current microelectronics
R&D efforts. The initial AOC* goal will be
round-trip missions against coastal areas in Cuba, the Barents
Sea, China, and Vietnam. Reconnaissance and ferret-type missions
could provide low altitude imagery,
of these objectives were studied in
test against Tallinn.
C. FY 1969 Goals.
The range of objectives for fiscal year 1969
panded by the results of advance four-cycle engine
which will extend the range of these systems to
Emerging navigational technolgies, such as the
ELINT and SIGINT. Feasibility
a simulated operational
will be ex-
development
MEGA** will
provide the capability of using these vehicles in one-way
missions against Lop Nor, Shuang-ch'eng-tzu and Sary Shagan.
Typical objectives for fiscal year 1969 will be the development
of a black box emplacement capability within a CEP of 1/2 n.m.
These missions have intelligence capabilities against missile
telemetry, nuclear staging and yield.
*AOC - Advanced Operational Capability.
**A navigation concept which utilizes the long range Navy OMEGA
radio transmissions, retransmitted through a synchronous
satellite to the ground station fol..1, ,mmutation and position
location. 0 17 ,��C-r
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D. Ultimate Goals.
4
During fiscal year 1970 and beyond, program objectives
are to develop capabilities
any remote area through the
vehicles having
for collecting intelligence from
development of radioisotope-powered
ranges and unlimited loiter times.
Land and sea launch capabilities against any target in the USSR
and China are current goals. Improved sensors and intelligence
procssing payloads will be adaptive to mission variations as
determined by specific requirements.
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IV Program Plan.
A. Approach.
The program plan used for development of an AQUILINE
system during fiscal year 1967 will be replaced by an overall
system's program in fiscal year 1968. This is necessary for
a variety of reasons. During fiscal year 1967, there were three
program areas:
1. IOC prototype development
2. Interface (conceptual development)
3. Subsystem development
Three vehicles, each with increasing capability, were designed
and constructed under the IOC prototype development program
If in fiscal year 1968 we were
t,-) follow this same schedule of building increasingly refined
test vehicles, we would quickly exceed fiscal year 1968 funding
of In addition, our increased understanding of
the various subsystem requirements, and a better estimate of the
costs involved in achieving these requirements has placed ever
increasing strain on our limited funds.
Further, mission analysis studies revealed that in order
to achieve acceptable probabilities of success against any
particular target, a specially designed vehicle system should be
constructed and deployed. In an environment of continually
changing intelligence requirements, it becomes extremely difficult
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and prohibitively expensive to predict the mission requirement
and the operation schedule.
which provides as milestones
systems designed for general
To plan for an AQUILINE development
an increasing inventory of vehicle
purpose missions seems to us to be
an inappropriate and expensive approach to the Agency's particu-
lar problem. None of these vehicle systems, in all probability,
would be the optimum vehicle required to perform an intelligence
mission when the need arose. To adjust the AQUILINE development
plan to the available funds and to the specific capability needs
of the Agency, a new plan has been formulated and put into
effect.
B. Development Plan.
As shown in Figure 3, the program emphasis is now being
put on developing a capability in terms of the developing state-
of-knowledge
This is done
scheme works
which can be assessed on command by management.
by establishing the two computer programs shown. The
as follows: For fiscal year 1968 the control of the
program is vested in the Advanced Conceptual Development team
(Douglas Aircraft working under the direction of the COTR). The
information library for the program is a computer endowed in its
subroutines with all of the known or estimated (temporarily)
characteristics of the IOC AQUILINE vehicle system. At the periph-
ery of this information base are the various subsystem project
engineers (Douglas) who are charged with generating requirements,
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subsystem development and updating and refining the information
stored in that particular subsystem computer subroutine. The
computer can at any time be instructed to read out the current
capability of the IOC family of vehicles under development.
This information, for instance, would include the range, payload
capability and "signature," (i.e., IR, radar, visual and acoustic
signal) emanating from the vehicle system.
A second computer program has been established in order
to make maximum use of this information. The information for
this computer is derived from reiterated survivability studies.
The mission survivability computer program predicts the ability
(probability) of the selected AQUILINE vehicle to penetrate
undetected through the radar, visible, and acoustic defenses of
a hostile country. In order to describe the radar defenses, the
location and characteristics of each radar, including radar
horizon and ground clutter, are read into the computer program.
The visible and acoustic defenses are described by the population
density distribution. A candidate mission profile and vehicle are
then chosen for gathering intelligence from a selected target
behind the defense system. The mission profile is described by
the position-time-function of the flight path (altitude, velocity,
position vs. time), the cloud cover, the background-sky contrast
and the sun-aircraft relationship along the route. The candidate
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aircraft is described by its radar cross section (as a function
oi viewing angle), its physical
infrared characteristics of the
the computer program determines
size and the acoustic and
power plant. With these data,
the probability of undetected
penetration through the radar, visible and acoustic defenses.
Should any of these probabilities prove unacceptable, a new
mission profile and/or vehicle can be chosen which concentrates
specifically on that aspect of penetration.
C. Flight Tests.
In order to assure that the information stored in the
computer yields an accurate representation of the physical
characteristics of the vehicle, two additional components of the
development plan must be provided. These are the Prototype
Systems Development (IOC) and Test Range Programs. Within the
Prototype Systems Development Program, a number of test vehicles
�are designed and fabricated. (Five vehicles are planned for
fiscal year 1968.) These vehicles are designed primarily to be
test flown in a particular manner such as to augment or update
the flight performance information stored in the computer. The
vehicles are also used to carry developmental subsystems in ex-
perimental flight tests. The vehicles, then are designed to be
representative of the IOC family of vehicles, modified slightly
to accommodate other requirements of the program.
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A test range for flight testing the developing
AQUILINE system has been established at Randsburg Wash, a.
secure range on the Naval Ordnance Test Station at China
Lake, California. The facilities and facilities support
are being supplied by the Navy under a task order from the
Agency. The prime contractor (Douglas) has established and
maintains the instrumentation on the test range.
D. Summary of Development Concept.
In summary then, what the program attempts to provide
is a developing capability in intelligence collection
systems which can be assessed on command by management at
any time and from which they can define the optimum AQUILINE
collection system for a specific current intelligence
requirement.
In essence, the program plan is to develop a series of
AQUILINE subsystems (Figure 4) which will be fabricated,
tested in flight, and evaluated. The characteristics of
these subsystems will be permanently stored in the computer
memory. Each subsystem R&D program has its own goal mile-
stones which are calculated to be integrated with the total
system capability development.
�:Each of the major subsystems may be expanded to indicate
the long-range plans in that area. In Navigation (Figure 4,
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Item III-C), for example, R&D programs are being carried
out or planned for all of the fundamental techniques listed.
This broad approach is necessary because no one technique
currently offers the potential to satisfy all of the probable
� requirements.
In conjunction with the subsystem capability development,
mission environmental information for some of the most likely
targets is being collected from other offices and stored for
evaluation and collation with specific system configurations.
Sociological studies in conjunction with wildlife information
� would aid in a determination of the probability of detection
and recognition. The population distribution would be a measure
of likelihood of detection while the birdlife studies would
reveal the likelihood of the vehicle registering as a bird or
a normally appearing object to the observer. It also is obvious
that survivability is dependent on current meteorological data,
geographic features and intrusion defense posture. The political
situation would affect the determination for detection and
reaction of recognition by local governments, thus affecting the
calculated risk that may be taken.
Collation of all the subsystem data and environmentals
would be an impossible task without the aid of modern computer
techniques. However, the computer technique used in this program
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can compare all the R&D results achieved to date and provide
answers to optimize the future AQUILINE development plan for
any of three alternatives:
1. Most efficient use of available R&D funds.
2. Most effective pacing of subsystem develop-
ments for orderly buildup of system capability.
3. Most effective combination of platform and
subsystem elements in a possible crash program to
develop a particular mission-oriented system.
E. Management and Funding.
During fiscal years 1966 and 1967, the program was broken
down into its major components in accordance with Figure 5.
During fiscal year 1967, although the funding was increased to
dollars including AQUILINE-related efforts, the
program from an 'Agency management point of view had not progressed
to the point where it was considered a system endeavor. (A
system plan will -be initiated in fiscal year 1968 and is discussed
later.) The funding for the program was provided in a piece-
meal fashion, project by project as the program areas became
defined. In order to manage the many separate contract packages
as an integrated program development, an AQUILINE budget sheet
was used for funding control. Figure 6 is a representative copy
of this budget showing the total budget funds, the office's
plan to commit these funds, and the status of commitment of funds
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under the general program. By this means, management was kept
apprised of the progress of the overall program and the effort
that the new dollars committed were to fund.
The funding for AQUILINE in fiscal year 1968 is based
on a master AP/ORD program with a system contractor (See Figure
3). Several individual AP/ORD support contracts with other
contractors and a moderate number of AQUILINE related projects
(mainly payload R&D) monitored by other divisions are funded
separately in support of the program. The basic funding program
supports many tasks in subsystem development, environmental
studies, mission analysis, and flight testing. Individual fund-
ing of these tasks in fiscal year 1967 created unnecessary
complications in contract negotiations and management as well as
increasing the problems of coordinating and synchronizing the
technical developments of each subsystem. A new technique will
be used for fiscal year 1968 program funding and control. This
plan will provide the required program development flexibility
and still assure adequate control by the COTR of the rate of ex-
penditure of funds.
A master contract will be let with the McDonnell-Douglas
Company. The request for fiscal year 1968 funds to Agency
management will indicate the total contract price and costs of
the four major subcontract elements. This breakdown of costs will
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be similar to that shown in Figure 4. There are a number of
major subcontracts which will be let by McDonnell-Douglas in
fiscal year 1968. In fiscal year 1967 the composite fee
negotiated with McDonnell-Douglas was
based on a ratio of
Prime to Subcontract effort of approximately
posite fee will be negotiated with the prime
on the new Prime/Subcontract ratio.
. A new corn-
contractor based
In addition, the master contract will establish a fund-
ing limitation on a quarterly basis. Within this funding
limitation, McDonnell-Douglas will request funds on a task
basis against which costs, technical milestones and delivery
� schedules
COTR, the
With this
will be submitted to the COTR. On approval by the
contract officer will authorize funds for the task.
mechanism both the technical and financial progress
of the program will be more closely monitored. At the same
time, the COTR will have the required flexibility, found
necessary during early stages of the program, to adjust the
direction of the total effort in accordance with the developing
technology.
The preceding plan was considered more appropriate to
the AQUILINE development program than a PERT COST analysis.
However, PERT TIME
system development
the program.
analysis is maintained on both the advanced
and prototype system development elements of
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The prime contractor has formulated a detailed fiscal
year 1968 system program plan (Figure 8) for a
dollar budget. AP/ORD proposes to use this system plan by
funding the highest priority tasks to a current budget ceiling
of
dollars. Therefore, additional funding, if
it becomes available throughout the year, can be wisely used
and coordinated with the overall AQUILINE program. A summary
of the projected AQUILINE costs through fiscal year 1973 is
shown in Figure 9.
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V Operational Development
The development of an operational AQUILINE system
requires development of the aircraft system and payloads as
well as ground control equipment, operations support facilities
and personnel.
Although plans for fiscal year 1968 include study and
parametric definition of the ground control equipment and
onrations support requirements, the plan is once again to
develop only those components which have commonality to all
possible missions.
All aspects of the problem would be researched, however,
and a prototype of the basic ground control equipment would be
developed. Keeping in mind that the costs of acquiring an
operational capability are not funded, and that what is indi-
catc-I is ORD's ability to respond technologically to a require-
ment for an operational system, the projected operational
capability for AQUILINE is shown in Figure 7.
The development of the AQUILINE concept has required a hard
look at the future of technical intelligence collection. As
a result, it has been catalytic in the generation of a variety
of new development projects. Although many of these new areas,
i.e., small IR scanners, microminiaturization of ELINT receivers,
recorders, communication and navigation equipment, etc., have
application in the AQUILINE program, they also meet more general
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needs of the Agency. In any funding analysis it would be
improper, therefore, to assess the AQUILINE program on a
direct basis for the development costs in these areas.
Figure 9 apportions the total costs of the program in accord-
ance with this point of view.
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