APPENDIX A – MISSIONS
Page A-3
Science Board and 2003 Air Force Scientific Advisory Board results both observed that a UA capable
of unwarned collection is needed by DoD. ISR summary. UA have an established and growing track record supporting the ISR mission area. Reconnaissance UA have been used to experiment and bridge into other mission areas (such as strike – see next Section). Endurance will always be a hallmark of the UA design when supporting ISR; however the “denied access” mission will require some design trades against the endurance principle. The concept of using miniature UA to conduct collection against weak signals or obtain very high resolution results is an emerging capability that deserves increased emphasis. Next, trade studies need to be conducted to determine if multi-mission, versus dedicated mission, platform designs are the most cost effective approach for every application. Lastly, opportunities must be sought to take advantage of the growing commercial market to solve DoD problems.
Strike/Suppression of Enemy Air Defense
Actions in Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) and Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) have shown the value of arming UA. Lightweight weapons on long endurance platforms like the MQ-1 Predator make possible rapid reaction to fleeting targets, a mission that is more accurately termed “armed reconnaissance” and can be considered a sub-set of the Strike mission, possibly the first example of “persistent strike.” This capability plays more on the endurance and surveillance capability of the UA than on its weapons prowess. However, UA are being developed to carry greater payload load-outs, with greater variety to offer greater strike flexibility to warfighters. The Air Force’s MQ-9 Predator development is an example of a movement in a direction of greater weapons capability while retaining its reconnaissance and endurance capabilities. This kind of armed reconnaissance or persistent strike capability is crucial in executing GWOT missions. Strategic Planning Guidance has made reducing risk in GWOT its top priority.
The joint Air Force-Navy development of J-UCAS is the first example of a net-centric UA system where significant weapons employment flexibility is a design requirement. Besides the strike mission, the J-UCAS program will provide a UA capable of operating in the SEAD role. The SEAD role will also emphasize survivability as a key design requirement. As opposed to the armed reconnaissance or strike against lightly defended targets, the SEAD mission makes significantly greater survivability demands on UA developers because of its intended use in denied airspace. Understanding the design trades required to develop an effective capability is critical to holding down acquisition costs. A robust system engineering effort is paramount.
UA have two attributes that are attractive for the SEAD, strike, and armed reconnaissance missions when compared to manned assets:
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