AFRL's Cooperative Operations in Urban Terrain Program Participates in US-Australia Combined Exercise

  • Published
  • By Air Vehicles Directorate
  • AFRL/RB
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  AFRL's Cooperative Operations in Urban Terrain (COUNTER) program recently participated in Talisman Saber 2007, the largest joint warfighting exercise in the Pacific. During the exercise, the COUNTER team integrated with Australian Defense Forces, Pacific Command (PACOM), and the 3rd US Marine Expeditionary Forces to fill the requisite Opposition Forces (OPFOR) role.

The COUNTER team deployed three unmanned air vehicles (UAV) for performing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) tasks. In flying more than 40 sorties in support of the OPFOR, the COUNTER UAVs frequently flew alongside manned vehicles, which presented unique challenges in sortie planning and execution. The COUNTER system performed all tasks successfully, demonstrating the technology's effective use in an actual combat scenario. 

The COUNTER project represents an effort to provide situational awareness to special operations forces working in urban environments. The COUNTER team uses small and micro UAVs to perform ISR activities and collect video telemetry for detecting possible threat targets in the urban terrain. The COUNTER technology enables a single operator to manage multiple UAVs in low-altitude tactical (urban) environments. The team's participation in the combined exercise expanded the system's operational
envelope by demonstrating the successful use of COUNTER components to fulfill mission requirements surpassing original design specifications.

The Talisman Saber exercise is designed both to train Australian and US combined forces in mid- to high-intensity combat operations and to ensure the cooperative readiness of the forces. PACOM was particularly interested in assessing the COUNTER system's capacity to help close gaps related to UAVs in urban operations. Talisman Saber 2007 marked AFRL's first major participation with PACOM. The lab's
participation directly demonstrates the three Air Force core competencies: developing Airmen, adapting technology to warfighting, and integrating operations. COUNTER was one of four AFRL technologies to participate in Talisman Saber 2007.