On the Autonomous Implementation of Rain Enhancement Operational Maneuvers by UAS

We highlight a successful implementation of a framework involving an uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) with atmospheric and cloud microphysical sensing and autonomous adaptive control technologies to search, identify, carry out, monitor and/or evaluate cloud seeding operations to enhance precipitation. The implementation featured trials in the U.S. Great Plains area following the US aviation authority regulations during a three-week summer trial period. The trials provide insight into using UAS in an operational setting. Their broader significance is a step toward improved targeting efficiency, and hence improved operational cloud seeding activity effectiveness. The implementation of the integrated UAS provide and exploit the temporal and spatial cloud-scale sensitivities to overcome the operational and natural uncertainties or sparseness of environmental parameters needed to increase cloud seeding operational efficiency. Recommendations for next steps and improving the future use of uncrewed systems are provided.