Ryan Walters is a distinguished former US Army aviator who is now a Senior Business Development Manager at Thales. From his unique perspective, he shares his thoughts on the Tactical Mission Planner being developed by Thales, as showcased in a new four-page insight paper, now available as a free download.

 

© Ryan Walters

First, tell us a little about your background. 

I’ve been with Thales for four years and am now Senior Business Development Manager and Product Line Manager for Airborne Helmet Mounted Displays. Prior to that, I spent 20 years in the US Army, most of it as an aviator. I started out flying UH-60s for medical evacuation missions, then tactical missions for a Special Operations Aviation Regiment until I retired in 2018, flying the MH-47 Special Operations Chinook as part of more than 20 deployments around the world.
 

Can you define the Tactical Mission Planner? 

The Tactical Mission Planner, or TMP, is an ongoing development project at Thales where we are bringing together all the different resources on the aircraft to create a comprehensive assessment of the tactical environment around the aircrew. The TMP will allow the aircrew to use the same data from mission planning to mission execution, using Thales’s artificial intelligence (AI) tools to make informed decisions. The data focuses on known threats or future threats injected into the aircraft system in real time based on intelligence reports, electronic intelligence collection... from all types of connected UAS (unmanned aerial systems) and platforms that exchange and share data. The aim is to ensure that the aircrew can carry out their mission with the known tactical overlays and threats.

The TMP, which includes subcomponents such as the Tactical Route Planner, will enable the aircrew to enter a concentrated multi-domain battlespace, adjust mission parameters based on real-time data (weather reports, aircraft performance parameters, updated threat data) and react accordingly, focusing on endurance, survivability, etc., as required. We're very excited about this capability because it brings together different solutions and provides a holistic view of the battlespace.
 

How would you explain why the TMP has been so well received by potential users in the US?

It has indeed been presented to my former colleagues and they have warmly welcomed this different approach to solving a very complex problem that many recognize will be critical in future conflicts. Imagine having to manage many different helicopters, UAS systems... how do you share data in real time and how do you reduce mission risk and force risk so that the aircrew can fight, survive and return having accomplished their mission? This solution is very forward thinking and is rapidly evolving, and as a baseline it has already been very well received as a way to address the known complexities of tomorrow’s multi-domain battlespace.

TMP demonstrates the importance of working to fuse the air picture and share the information with different resources, regardless of service or platform type, as well as sharing tactical information or mission changes with ground commanders. This is a big step towards a connected battlespace where all the different resources can access and share the right information at the right time. 
 

From your viewpoint as a pilot, how does the TMP change the way you execute your mission?

When I was serving, we flew with active sensors, radar systems, digital maps, so we had some similar technologies, but they weren't all connected in a way that was fully digitized, and we couldn't share that level of information with other aircraft or supporting assets. For example, a flight of three or four Special Operations Chinook helicopters would not be able to effectively share threat information with the supporting rotorcraft, such as AH-64 Apaches, or with Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) assets.
 
This therefore opens up a whole new dimension, using the processing power of Thales's explainable and trusted AI tools to make informed decisions, while at the same time seeing and understanding what the system is doing – remember there's always a human in the loop making the decision! The TMP approach brings these different solutions together and enables real-time data sharing. And there are so many potential components to leverage that we've only scratched the surface of how far this can go!

Seconds. This is how much time helicopter pilots have today to make tactical decisions in an increasingly fastpaced and complex operational environment. The quantity of data they need to factor in to make those decisions has never been greater. Sensors, effectors, manned aircraft, unmanned systems, enemy capabilities and weapons, mission objectives, and priorities all represent bits of data and variables that must be considered when orchestrating a tactical mission – an increasingly complex task for human cognitive functions.

>>> Get the full exciting story by downloading our exclusive insight paper!