UAVs, not just an Air Force gig anymore

Air Force releases UAV strategic vision

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/library/news/2006/intell-060324-afpn01.htm

Air Force releases UAV strategic vision
3/24/2006 - WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The Air Force recently completed a vision document to provide high-level guidance to service development and integration of unmanned aircraft for the next 25 years.

While the Air Force has been experimenting with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles since 1962, the technology has only recently evolved to a point to provide truly transformational capabilities to the joint commander, said Brig. Gen. Stanley Clarke, deputy director of the Air Force strategic planning directorate.

“Sensors and payloads are now smaller, lighter and more capable," General Clarke said. "And the required command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance technologies have only recently come on line.”

Air Force UAVs bring persistence to the fight and also have the ability to work in hazardous environments, said Col. Gail Wojtowicz, chief of the Air Force’s future concepts and transformation division.

“Unmanned aircraft are a critical piece of ongoing Air Force transformation,” Colonel Wojtowicz said. “Their persistence couples an unblinking eye with the ability to rapidly strike targets of opportunity, such as fleeting terrorists or insurgents. They also operate in dangerous chemical or biological environments, require a much smaller forward logistical footprint, and are as effective in conducting mundane tasks in the 30th hour as they are in the first.”

The Air Force produced the UAV strategic vision document, entitled "The U.S. Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Strategic Vision," primarily in response to recommendations by the 2004 Air Force Futures Game, which was a guided strategic discussion about the Air Force’s future capabilities.

While not directive in nature, the document lays out a broad vision and provides recommendations. These include developing common terminology, adequately funding relevant science and technology, coordinating efforts with other services, managing cost and performance expectations, reviewing and updating laws and policies, and integrating unmanned aircraft with manned and space platforms.

The new strategic vision document also addresses the historical context of UAVs, the unique attributes of the aircraft, and the various challenges in fielding them, General Clarke said.

“While unmanned aircraft have incredible potential, they still have formidable obstacles to overcome,” he said. “They must be integrated into national and international airspace, their costs must be kept in check, and the C4ISR systems they depend on are vulnerable to attack and use an incredible amount of bandwidth."

The general also said there are policy and legal issues to address in regards to UAVs, as well as unique organizational, manning and training issues.

The new Air Force strategic vision is consistent with the Office of the Secretary of Defense Unmanned Aircraft System Roadmap released in October, as well as the recently completed Quadrennial Defense Review, General Clarke said.

good for them...

People, Ideas, Machines
IN THAT ORDER!

- John Boyd

"It is our intention to have one-third of all Naval Aircraft unmanned by 2011." -- testimony before the US Senate in 2001

http://www.navlog.org

Has anyone within Naval Aviation felt the presence of UAV's yet, or perhaps better phrased, the effects of having them integrated into Naval Aviation? Not really sure how to word this right...

Fine... my grammar isn't the best in this post; just can't explain what I want to ask too well here.

Enter, Grammar Thread.... :icon_tong

No, because the Navy doesnt have much of a service-wide vision for their UAV's yet and has yet to procure UAV's in any meaningful numbers yet. We are being left behind on the most rapidly expanding part of military aviation. 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em'.

UCAS-D winner announced...UAVs for my friends!!!

I guess that you guys are going to start getting into the UAV game now.
Who's aircraft is this ulitmately going to replace or is it filling a hole from a retired system.

F-14 with Tarps is the first that came to mind for me.

Anybody else wanna stand on the rear of the ship will a computer makes a night & bad weather approach?


Attached is link for interested partys.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/cg...4957&manuel_call_mod=release&modele=jdc_inter

NAVAIR Patuxent River, MD --- The Department of Navy announced today that Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems – Western Region, San Diego, Calif., has been selected to provide the Navy Unmanned Combat Air Systems Technical Demonstration.

This $635.8 Million Cost Plus Incentive Fee contract will launch a technical effort to demonstrate the aircraft carrier suitability of an autonomous low-observable unmanned air vehicle, as well as demonstrate critical aircraft carrier suitability technologies in a relevant environment.

Flight testing is scheduled to begin in late 2009 and culminate with carrier flight operations in 2013.

Just like the operating date for the P-8...

Why? Really.

The only good thing that can come of us getting UAV's is that Phrog will stop bitching about how I'm only worth about 135# of gas... I say I'm worth closer to 300... but whatever.

Along with the UCAS-D, and the Reaper, and this...SkyNet will be up next.

I for one welcome our new Autonomous Metal Lords....

Holy Shit that is mad laughs dude!

Luckily, my state hasn't quite submitted yet though!

Guess the big question is when do you get Per Diem and flight pay as a UCAV guy.

With my luck, even if BDCP takes me next semester, I'll get winged and they'll immediately sit me down in a cubicle, where I will live out the rest of my career flying a UAV.

Then again, that's better than sitting in a cubicle writing TPS reports.

First Armed Robots on Patrol in Iraq

I know some people who work on this program. The technology is incredible and it will be value added to the navy. Other than continually giving them a hard time about "birthing naval aviation's anti-christ," they genuinely are trying to put out a good product.

I wonder what API will be like for us in 2013: