Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Remotely Piloted Aircraft System SME, NATO-JFTC

Summary:

Yorktown Systems Group is seeking a qualified Unmanned Aerial Vehicle / Remotely Piloted Aircraft System SME to support NATOs Joint Force Training Center (JFTC) located in Bydgoszcz Poland conducting training and exercises for the NATO Command Structure (NCS) and NATO Force Structure (NFS) to ensure operational ability and interoperability in a variety of environments.

Using the Exercise Scenario MEL/MIL builds storylines designed to trigger certain decisions and activities in the Training Audience (TA) based on the Exercise and Training Objectives. The intensities of various portions of the Exercise Scenario can be manipulated via the MEL/MIL in order to target specific effects within the TA. Intelligence SMEs contribution to the MEL/MIL process is of critical importance for the successful execution of the Exercise and Training Objectives. Intelligence SMEs are part of the Intelligence Coordination Cell and is subordinate to the Intel Coordination Cell Chief. The cell facilitates dynamic INTEL scripting and controls INTEL discipline specific play ICCW INTEL personnel of Response Cells.

Specific duties may include but are not limited to:

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicle/Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (UAV/RPAS) Subject Matter Expert (SME) will provide continuous scalable and doctrinally aligned expertise to the Exercise Control (EXCON) structure and associated functional cells in support of NATO and multinational land domain exercises conducted under this framework contract. The SME will support the full exercise lifecycleconcept development planning scenario design MEL/MIL scripting execution assessment and lessons learned integrationensuring that the employment integration and coordination of friendly and adversary UAV/RPAS capabilities are realistic safe doctrinally sound and compliant with NATO and national regulations. The SME will act as the primary advisor on UAV/RPAS and UAS threat matters within EXCON ensuring that the Training Audience (TA) receives coherent technically accurate and operationally relevant challenges aligned with Exercise Objectives Aims and Training Objectives. The position requires sustained coordination with operational planners intelligence staff fires EW airspace management force protection scenario developers MEL/MIL teams OPFOR GREYCELL WHITECELL and other functional SMEs across multiple exercises and planning cycles.

Exercise Planning Support:

• Provide authoritative UAV/RPAS subject matter expertise during all planning events.
• Develop UAV/RPAS related injects vignettes mission profiles and scenario elements ensuring coherence with AJP 3.3 ATP 3.3.7 ATP 3.3.8 AJP 3.3.5 and relevant STANAGs.
• Produce planning inputs for the Exercise Specification (EXSPEC) MEL/MIL OPFOR SOM and supporting documents.
• Ensure UAV/RPAS integration with Intelligence Fires EW Airspace Management JISR and Force Protection branches maintaining doctrinal consistency and operational realism.
• Advise on the integration of UAV/RPAS effects into the land tactical planning process including ISR target acquisition BDA support to maneuver and CUAS considerations.
• Ensure continuity of UAV/RPAS related planning across multiple exercises within the framework contract

Exercise Execution Support:

• Support the implementation management and real time adjustment of UAV/RPAS related events and injects during the exercise.
• Provide continuous advisory support to EXCON MEL/MIL OPFOR and functional cells on UAV/RPAS capabilities limitations and doctrinal employment.
• Monitor and assess TA responses to UAV/RPAS related challenges including ISR exploitation CUAS measures airspace coordination and electromagnetic spectrum management.
• Ensure doctrinally correct deconfliction of airspace and electromagnetic spectrum for UAV operations in accordance with AJP 3.3.5 STANAG 4671 STANAG 4586 and exercise specific directives.
• Provide real time guidance on UAV/RPAS mission planning payload employment ISR tasking and integration with land operations.
• Support EXCON in adjusting exercise tempo complexity and threat presentation based on TA performance detailed understanding and experience of the NATO

Enemy UAV Threat and CUAS Integration:

• Provide expert assessments of adversary UAV/UAS threats including single use drones loitering munitions FPV systems and small tactical reconnaissance drones.
• Integrate enemy UAS behaviors into the scenario in accordance with NATO threat modelling principles ensuring realism while remaining UNCLAS and non sensitive.
• Advise on adversary ISR targeting harassment and strike TTPs relevant to land forces.
• Coordinate with EW CUAS and Force Protection elements to ensure doctrinally aligned defensive responses detection reporting and risk mitigation measures.
• Ensure hostile UAS threat modelling respects NATO airspace control and electromagnetic spectrum doctrine.
• Support OPFOR in representing enemy UAS capabilities coherently and consistently across multiple exercises

Safety Compliance and Risk Management:

• Develop refine and maintain UAV/RPAS-related SOPs checklists and risk-mitigation measures applicable across all exercises under the framework contract.
• Ensure compliance with NATO STANAGs national regulations and exercise-specific directives for UAV/RPAS operations airworthiness interoperability and safety.
• Apply NATO risk-management principles to UAV/RPAS and UAS threat planning including loitering munitions and high-risk hostile UAS behaviours.
• Provide safety recommendations to EXCON and TA regarding UAV/RPAS employment and CUAS measures

Training Education and Mentoring:

• Deliver doctrinally aligned training modules workshops and briefings on UAV/RPAS employment ISR integration CUAS considerations and adversary UAS threats.
• Provide mentoring to planners and staff officers during planning and execution phases.
• Develop and maintain training materials doctrinal reference packages and exercise-specific UAV/RPAS handbooks for use across multiple iterations of the framework contract.
• Support staff development in accordance with NATO training principles (e.g. Bi-SC 753).

Assessment and Reporting:

• Contribute to the evaluation of training objectives related to UAV/RPAS and CUAS.
• Provide subject-matter input to exercise observations lessons learned and doctrinal issues.
• Identify capability gaps procedural challenges and areas for improvement in UAV/RPAS and CUAS integration.
• Produce written reports observations and recommendations for each exercise.
• Deliver a consolidated annual report summarizing trends recurring issues and improvements across all exercises under the framework contract.

Coordination:

• Liaise with HICON LOCON SIDE/FLANCON GREYCELL WHITECELL OPFOR and other SMEs to ensure coherent representation of UAV/RPAS and UAS threats.
• Coordinate with Intelligence Fires EW Airspace Management JISR and Force Protection to synchronize UAV/RPAS effects and CUAS measures.
• Participate in all relevant planning meetings workshops and coordination events across the contract period.
• Ensure continuity and knowledge transfer between exercises maintaining institutional memory for EXCON.

The duties listed above are intended only as general illustration of the various types of work that may be performed while providing deliverables. Specific statements of duties not included does not exclude them from the position function if the work is similar related or a logical assignment to the teams functionality.

Required Qualifications:

• Extensive military experience in UAV/RPAS operations including tactical employment in support of land forces.
• Demonstrated expertise in ISR integration UAV mission planning payload employment and exploitation.
• Practical experience in NATO or multinational exercises at brigade division corps or joint level.
• Understanding of adversary UAS threats including loitering munitions FPV systems and single-use drones.
• Experience developing realistic injects incidents and operational challenges.
• A native English language speaker or an individual presenting excellent command of spoken and written English with a proven ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing at the level of (SLP) NATO STANAG 6001 - 3333 (Listening Speaking Reading and Writing).

Clearance: Must possess an active NATO or U.S. SECRET or higher security clearance.

Location: NATO Joint Force Training Centre Bydgoszcz Poland

Travel: CONUS and OCONUS travel will be required.

*This position is not a full-time employment work position; this is an intermittent part-time / on-call contracted work position designed to support specific named NATO training exercises. Employment is only during the execution of these training events with the work effort estimated to be a few weeks out of the year.