Washington. The role of drones has become most important in modern warfare. Drones are being used everywhere from Ukraine to the Middle East. But there is one major drawback in the small drones so far. They cannot lift much weight. To overcome this deficiency, America’s Defense Department Pentagon is going to take a big step. Pentagon’s research agency ‘DARPA’ has launched a new competition. It has been named ‘Lift’. Its purpose is to revolutionize multirotor drone operations. America wants to create such unmanned systems that can lift four times their own weight. So far, the payload-to-weight ratio for small drones is usually one to one. If this mission is successful then the map of the battlefield will completely change.
What is DARPA’s LIFT mission: This mission of DARPA is for both military and commercial sectors. Philip Smith, lead of DARPA’s Lift Contest, gave information about this. He told Breaking Defense that the military and industry have big dreams about drones. They see many uses for it. But in reality the payload they want requires a larger aircraft. Big aircraft are very expensive. Smith says that if we can change this, it will be of great benefit. If we make drones very small and cheap then this dream can come true. This will increase its use in both military and civilian sectors. DARPA aims to organize this competition in the summer.
Strict conditions for drone makers: Many strict rules have been made for the participants in this competition:
, First of all, the weight of the drone should be less than 55 pounds (about 25 kg).
, The drone will have to take off without any help.
, It will have to lift a payload of at least 110 pounds (about 50 kilograms).
, This payload will have to be carried up to four nautical miles (about 7.5 kilometers).
, The payload will have to be dropped at a safe place.
, After this the drone will have to fly one more nautical mile and make a precise landing.
, This entire work will have to be completed in less than 30 minutes.
, Teams will get two windows of 90-90 minutes for this task. In this they will have to post their best score.
Test of altitude and control in the air: Just lifting weights will not be enough. The drone will have to fly at a certain height. This height has been fixed at around 350 feet. There will be a relaxation of 50 feet more or less. The drone will have to make several trips between two points in a narrow circuit. The most important thing is that the drone should remain in front of the pilot’s sight (visual line-of-sight). American companies will have to lead in this competition. If a person is participating then he must be an American citizen or permanent resident. Although he may have foreign teammates. The condition is that they should not be from any country which has been banned by the Pentagon.
What will be the criteria to win: Participants will receive numbers primarily based on their payload-to-weight ratio. This means that the drone which weighs less and lifts more weight will win. For example, the drone has to lift a minimum weight of 110 pounds. Suppose a drone weighs 20 pounds and it lifts this weight. The second drone is of 30 pounds and it also lifts the same weight. In this situation a 20 pound drone will score more. 110 pounds is just the starting limit. DARPA wants to see how much weight a drone weighing less than 55 pounds can lift. This technology can change the world of logistics in the future.
The challenge is difficult but not impossible: Philip Smith stressed that this competition is not going to be easy. But theoretically it is possible. A payload-to-weight ratio of four-to-one is a lofty goal. This has been decided only after taking inputs from the industry. According to Smith, some technologies can make this goal possible. These include improvements in flight control, structure, materials and powertrain. If a design is successful then it can later be made on a large scale. This will prove to be a game changer for future wars. It will be easier to deliver goods to the army.
Exemption for using Chinese parts: There is one more special thing about this competition. Participating drones are not required to be NDAA-compliant. Generally, there is a ban on Chinese equipment or parts in the US military. But this time it is not so. Smith said that this has been done so that more and more people can participate in it. Currently this industry is dominated by cheap Chinese components. If there were strict rules, many people would not have been able to participate. Smith said that DARPA wants to show that there is a gap in the American industry. This competition will generate enthusiasm about new designs. This will open avenues of investment.
There is less time and more work: DARPA has given very little time for this competition. Besides, there are many types of obstacles in this also. Smith admitted that things can go wrong for contestants. But he said that this event is of public nature. This will lead to designs with ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking. These designs will be exposed to a larger audience. This may inspire some people to move forward. They can create something new by combining different ideas. America wants to be at the forefront of drone technology. This initiative is a step in that direction.
Why are small drones important: Nowadays logistics is the biggest problem in war. Delivering weapons and supplies to soldiers is risky. Big helicopters or planes come under the enemy’s radar. In such a situation, small drones can be very useful. If a small and cheap drone can lift 50 kg weight, it will be a big thing. Many drones together can deliver tons of goods. Even if the enemy kills them, the economic loss will be less. This is the reason why the Pentagon is placing so much emphasis on this project. If this project is successful, the pattern of supply chain will change.
