# BLADE-CUAS Governance Node

**Authority Governance for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Under Multi-Agency Authority Structures**

This Zenodo deposit contains the complete public release package for **BLADE-CUAS**, the sixth platform in the BLADE family of authority governance reference architectures, instantiating the AUTHREX governance framework for the Counter-UAS (C-UAS) domain.

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## Author

**Burak Oktenli** — Independent researcher · AUTHREX Systems
ORCID: [0009-0001-8573-1667](https://orcid.org/0009-0001-8573-1667)
Washington, DC, United States

Research portfolio: https://burakoktenli.com
AUTHREX framework: https://authrex.systems

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## Citation

> Oktenli, B. (2026). *BLADE-CUAS Governance Node: Authority Governance for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Under Multi-Agency Authority Structures.* Zenodo. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20299604. ORCID 0009-0001-8573-1667.

A BibTeX entry is provided in `CITATION.cff`. The DOI placeholder is replaced with the assigned DOI on publication.

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## What's new in v2.0 (2026-05-20)

The reference simulation (`blade-cuas-simulation.html`) was upgraded to **v4.0** and the research paper's Section 9 (Simulation Methodology and Results) was revised to match. Key changes:

- **PRNG**: Mulberry32 (32-bit state) replaced with **xoshiro128\*\*** (128-bit state, period 2^128 - 1) for valid high-N Monte Carlo (n >= 5000 per scenario without sequence overlap).
- **Evidence chain**: FNV-1a replaced with **real SHA-256** (byte-exact against FIPS 180-4) computed over a **canonical-form serialization** (sorted-key, fixed-precision) so the chain verifies byte-identically across JavaScript engines.
- **Fusion**: true Dempster-Shafer combination with **Yager's rule** routing high-conflict mass to the ignorance set (closes Zadeh's paradox).
- **Sensor realism**: 3D slant-range geometry, Markov-chain sensor noise (dropout and clutter bursts), and a sustained-multi-modality **electronic-warfare hazard lock**.
- **Governance correctness**: per-track strict enforcement of **Invariant 8** (no automatic re-escalation outside the operator gate), a **single-modality outlier penalty**, and simulated **PTP clock-drift** injection.
- **Reviewer tooling**: a **failure-injection panel** (sensor stuck-at, ledger tamper, credential revocation) and **decision-trace replay**.
- **Statistics**: framing moved from G*Power power analysis to **Rule of Three / Clopper-Pearson** exact bounds for zero-event data.

The simulator was hardened across **four independent external technical V&V audits** (composite scores 4.6, 7.7, 8.8, 9.4 of 10 across revisions v1 through v4). The 300-run batch confirms **zero false tier elevations and zero false authority releases**.


## License

This deposit is released under the **Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)** license. Full license text is in `LICENSE`.

You may share and adapt the work, provided you give appropriate credit, indicate any changes, and do not suggest endorsement by the author.

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## Classification and Distribution

- **Classification**: Unclassified · Public.
- **Distribution**: DISTRIBUTION A — Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
- **Research Framing**: Fundamental research published openly under **NSDD-189** (National Security Decision Directive 189) protections.
- **Export Control**: Contains no information regulated under ITAR or EAR in a manner that would require licensing. Hardware design is reference-only; no build is implied.

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## Federal Anchors

This work is positioned against three federal anchors that establish the multi-agency authority structure for C-UAS operations in the United States:

1. **Executive Order 14305** — *Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty*, signed 6 June 2025. Expands the C-UAS authority framework and authorizes participation by state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) law enforcement.
2. **FY26 NDAA Title LXXXVI — Safer Skies Act** (P.L. 119-60), signed 18 December 2025. Restructures the Joint Counter-Small UAS Office and codifies evidence-chain standards.
3. **FEMA Counter-UAS Grant Program** (P.L. 119-21 §90005(a)). $500M FY26 NOFO authorizing C-UAS grants to SLTT recipients. Documented operational drivers include FIFA World Cup 2026, America 250 (4 July 2026), and Super Bowl LX.

The BLADE-CUAS reference design addresses the authority-arbitration layer that the commercial C-UAS market does not currently fill.

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## Contents of This Deposit

| File | Description |
|---|---|
| `blade-cuas.html` | Reference page (single-file HTML; 15-section deep-dive aligned with BLADE-SPACE / AUTHREX-AGENT) |
| `blade-cuas-sim.html` | Browser-native reference simulation (6 scenarios + free-play, deterministic seeded execution) |
| `ICD-CUAS-001-v1.0.pdf` | Interface Control Document for the reference hardware design (~26 pp) |
| `BLADE-CUAS-Capability-Brief-v1.0.pdf` | Executive-audience capability brief (8 pp) |
| `BLADE-CUAS-SSRN-WP.pdf` | SSRN working paper — academic-format research paper (~10 pp) |
| `README.md` | This file |
| `CITATION.cff` | Citation File Format v1.2.0 metadata |
| `LICENSE` | CC BY 4.0 license text |
| `metadata.json` | Structured deposit metadata |

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## Key Concepts

### The AUTHREX Pipeline
A nine-stage authority governance pipeline applied per track per decision cycle:

1. **SENSE** — Passive sensor ingestion; ECDSA P-256 signing at acquisition.
2. **SATA** — Per-sensor trust scoring τ ∈ [0,1] (Sensor Authority and Trust Assessor).
3. **ADARA** — Spoofing, decoy, and Remote ID inconsistency detection.
4. **IFF** — Operator credential authentication via mTLS + HSM-backed identity.
5. **HMAA** — Hierarchical Multi-Attribute Authority tier arbitration (four tiers).
6. **MAIVA** — Multi-Agent Integrity Verification Architecture: Dempster-Shafer consensus across ≥3 modalities.
7. **FLAME** — Faulted Logic Authority Mitigation Engine: tier-dependent deliberation window.
8. **ERAM** — Engagement Risk Assessment Model.
9. **CARA** — Coordinated Authority Recovery Architecture: state revert on misclassification.

### The Four-Tier HMAA Authority Model

| Tier | Name | Operator | Mitigation Authority |
|---|---|---|---|
| **T3** | Autonomous Monitoring | No human-in-loop | None |
| **T2** | Supervised — SLTT Tier | Sheriff / state police / stadium security | Operator confirm within FLAME window |
| **T1** | Confirmed — Federal Tier | DHS / DOJ / military per EO 14305 | Explicit federal confirmation required |
| **T0** | Manual | Test / calibration / suspected compromise | Full human control |

### Court-Admissible Evidence Chain Design
Designed to support the foundation requirements of Federal Rules of Evidence 901 (authentication), 902 (self-authentication), and 803(6) (records of a regularly conducted activity):

- ECDSA P-256 signing of every sensor input at acquisition (FIPS 186-5).
- SHA-256 prev-hash linked audit ledger; periodic external anchoring.
- Decision provenance: input vector, per-sensor τ, alternative classifications, active tier, operator credential, FLAME boundaries, ERAM components.

Admissibility is a judicial determination; the system is designed so that the foundation is **supportable**.

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## Reference Hardware Configuration

Vehicle-mountable transportable governance node:

- **Governance plane**: Xilinx Kria K26 SOM (Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC)
- **ML/fusion plane**: NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin 64GB
- **Cryptographic subsystem**: Infineon SLB 9670 TPM 2.0 + NXP EdgeLock SE051
- **Sensor interfaces**: Echodyne EchoGuard radar, Ettus B205mini-i SDR, FLIR Boson 640 + Sony IMX585, uAvionix pingRX Pro, optional Livox HAP LIDAR
- **Power**: MIL-STD-1275 conditioning, 280 Wh LiFePO4 battery
- **Enclosure**: MIL-STD-810G case, NEMA 4X external
- **Cost target**: $43,500 typical (range $35K–$55K)

Approximately 75% of the architecture is inherited unchanged from the **BLADE-EDGE** governance node baseline.

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## Reproducibility

The reference simulation (`blade-cuas-sim.html`) is fully deterministic:

- Seeded Mulberry32 PRNG (no `Math.random` used).
- Synchronous FNV-1a hash chain for browser execution (production reference uses SHA-256 + ECDSA P-256).
- All scenarios fixed at 30 Hz simulation tick.
- JSON-exportable decision trace at any point.

A given seed reproduces the same scenario evolution exactly.

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## Limitations

1. Reference design at **TRL 2–3 hardware / TRL 3–4 simulation**. No prototype built.
2. Performance figures are design targets, not empirical measurements.
3. Six scripted scenarios illustrate pipeline behavior under representative profiles, not statistical generalization.
4. MAIVA consensus weights are reference defaults requiring operational tuning.
5. Browser simulation cryptography (FNV-1a) is structural demonstration, not production strength.

See the working paper Section 9 for the full limitations discussion.

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## Related BLADE Platforms

| Platform | Domain | DOI |
|---|---|---|
| BLADE-EDGE | Directed-energy weapon authority governance | 10.5281/zenodo.19177472 |
| BLADE-AV | Autonomous vehicle governance | 10.5281/zenodo.19232130 |
| BLADE-MARITIME | Maritime surveillance governance | 10.5281/zenodo.19246785 |
| BLADE-INFRA | Critical infrastructure governance | 10.5281/zenodo.19277887 |
| BLADE-SPACE | Orbital autonomy governance | (deposit pending) |
| BLADE-CUAS | Counter-UAS authority governance (this deposit) | 10.5281/zenodo.20299604 |

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## Acknowledgments

The author thanks the broader research community working on autonomy governance, C-UAS engineering, and digital evidence preservation. Errors of fact or interpretation are the author's alone.

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## Contact

Burak Oktenli
ORCID: 0009-0001-8573-1667
Affiliation: AUTHREX Systems · Washington, DC
Web: https://burakoktenli.com · https://authrex.systems

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**© 2026 Burak Oktenli · ORCID 0009-0001-8573-1667 · Washington, DC · CC BY 4.0**
*Fundamental research published openly under NSDD-189 protections.*
