Most target drones used by the US Air Force (and Army and Navy) were designed decodes ago. Therefore, they embody decades old technologies. Specifically their avionics systems architectures, including digital processors (if they employ them) and network schemes are what was available at design time. As a consequence, the core avionics sensors, inter-processing bussing structures and software packages don't lend themselves to efficient, inexpensive upgrades or flexible reconfiguration. In summary, the resultant target system architectures are a hodgepodge amalgamation of the builder's favorite proprietary hardware/software designs making growth, improvement or change difficult and expensive, with massive cable bundles, large and power hungry components and little to no use of industry standard hardware/software modules with the result of no commonality across the using services. Tremendous advanced have been made over the past decade in the areas of microprocessors systems, inter-module bussing, inter-node bussing and real-time operational software. When the appropriate candidate technologies are selected, the result will be a non-proprietary hardware/software avionics architecture. A logical and comprehensive study of the challenges to identify the appropriate state-of-the-art architecture followed up by a simulation forms the basis of this proposal. The recommended technologies and architecture will be applicable to airborne, ground based and sea based target platforms
