4. DMC Drone Monitor and Control Center
Back to this item in New Technology Catalog
What It Is
- Acronym meaning: DMC = Drone Monitor and Control.
- Space type: fully manned shipboard operations center dedicated to drone monitoring, control, and mission management.
- Command role: a completed warfare space similar in status to ATC and CIC, with assigned watch teams and supervisory control authority.
- Control scope: UAV and USV operations plus the fleet-common SeaFox, reusable very-small UUV, and small UUV/Seaglider-family package, with real-time sensor, routing, payload, launch, recovery, charging, and mission-data management.
- Growth rule: DMC computing, networks, operator positions, software interfaces, and launch-and-recovery coordination are designed with reserve capacity so newly certified UUV and USV families can be added through common interfaces or IMM, ISO, and LCB mission packages.
- Integration points: cross-wired with CIC, Bridge, and ATC for coordinated task-group operations and engagement support.
- Program baseline: DMC is built into all TriSeadon hulls from first construction flight.
Why We Are Doing It
- Establish dedicated, staffed drone command-and-control as a core warfighting function.
- Support all-class unmanned operations with consistent command authority and workflows.
Used Today / What It Counters
- Used today: unmanned operations are often managed through distributed CIC/ATC workflows.
- Counters: fragmented drone command-and-control by creating a dedicated warfare space and watch structure.
Current Stop Gap
- No stop-gap in TriSeadon baseline; DMC is an original flight-start requirement across all classes.
Next Flight Implementation Steps
- Finalize DMC watchbill, authority model, and integration with CIC/Bridge/ATC.
- Certify UAV/USV/UUV control and launch-recovery procedures by class.
- Align fleet training/certification pipelines to the built-in DMC baseline from first hull onward.
Options and Styles
- Control Options: UAV, USV, and UUV mission management from a dedicated warfare space.
- Command Styles: ship-local control, task-group coordination, and delegated mission-control handoff.
- Mission Styles: ISR monitoring, EW support, route/payload control, and launch/recovery management.
Mounting and Integration Particulars
- Integrated command-space architecture tied to One-Consul, CIC, Bridge, and ATC.
- Mission packages can be expanded via IMM/ISO unmanned modules by class need.