Defense Tech: Gates Addresses ISR, UAV Difficulties


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Edited by Christian Lowe \| Contact

Gates Addresses ISR, UAV Difficulties

This article first appeared in the Aerospace Daily & Defense Report.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is establishing a Pentagon task force to find new and innovative ways to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to combat forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Gates announced the new team during a speech at the Air War College at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., on April 21. During the speech, Gates said getting the military branches to field more unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) quickly to support requirements for U.S. Central Command has been "like pulling teeth."

The task force will be led by Bradley Berkson, director of program analysis and evaluation.

Gates says that the Air Force may "require rethinking long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots and which do not." The Air Force trains certified pilots to operate the Predator while the Army does not require pilots to operate its similar Warrior UAV.

Commanders overseeing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan say they have a shortfall of ISR collection in theater, and they specify that they want more full-motion video -- a capability provided by Predator, Warrior and Shadow systems.

The Air Force, however, says it is fielding Predators at an unprecedented rate. One Pentagon official says the service is expected to field its 25th "combat air patrol," (CAP) consisting of four air vehicles and ground support equipment, by June 1. This is double the number of CAPs in the theater about a year ago.

The limiting factor for fielding more Predator units quickly is training Predator crews. The Air Force’s schoolhouse at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., is training about 160 crews per year, according to Air Force officials. However, that is not enough to operate the additional Predators being fielded. Additional funding will need to be included in the Air Force budget to increase training capacity to 240 crews per year in fiscal 2009.

Gates’ new task force will explore whether and how to push more UAVs and crews to support operations in Iraq, as well as other technological responses that could help support the massive intelligence requirements there.

Read the rest of this story, a doosie on Afghan/Dutch relations, some weird bird called a vulture and Av Week's opinion on Gates' Air Force missive at Military.com.

-- Christian

Comments

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Posted by: NightOp at October 25, 2008 10:59 PM

I'm interested in becoming involved on the war against terror.
I just finished high school.what are the requirements tobecome a uav pilot and triggerfire.i want to be given the opertunity to
Prevent ied ,attacks,amBUSH,and cover fire for troops.in order to save lives you must take.

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Posted by: 弓弩 at September 14, 2008 06:52 AM

You can't drop without a JTAC, he's an NCO, so why do we need an officer pilot to listen to what an NCO is telling him to do?

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Posted by: aoc gold at May 20, 2008 08:49 PM

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"meat servo"? The origin? The meaning?

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"meat-servo"?

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Posted by: SSGSlick at April 24, 2008 08:38 AM

During WWII enlisted men flew the aircraft in combat missions. These UAVs are nothing more than enormous RC models with weapons and sensors. Let the enlisted members fly them, since they can't do any worse than the officers.

Posted by: Jack D. Ripper at April 24, 2008 06:16 AM

Check this UAV footage - the MiG 29 just pops up on this Georgian UAV and smokes it with a missile up the tailpipe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNpABtIKERg

Posted by: FOARP at April 24, 2008 03:30 AM

We need to completely abandon manned systems,both air,ground,&sea,altogether for "killer" robots & cyborg "super" soldiers,each armed with phaser rifles.Because our enemy will still [foolishly] deploy "humans",our "killer" robots & cyborg "super" soldiers can say to them,"stupid humans,resistance is futile.""Your evil eye is complete.""War kittens???"Maybe we need autonomous robotic UAVs & UCAVs like the Cylon "Raiders" on Battlestar Galactica.
There was an article on Strategy page.com about the UAV operators having problems staying awake during the UAVs' 4 hour plus air missions.So obviously autonomous UAV systems would make sense."By your Command."

Posted by: Roy Smith at April 23, 2008 09:55 PM

Interesting concept Ron. 600,000 service members have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. How many have been convicted of murder? Pretty sure you can count them on your fingers and toes.

If you're here for a mature discussion, reducing collateral damage is a concern about UAV development. UAVs capable of firing missiles and bombs require someone of fairly high rank to pull the trigger. Enlisted personnel only fly them and operate the sensors.

Posted by: TB at April 23, 2008 08:26 PM

I think that UAV's should be used as surveillance type aircraft Only. then the army can use enlisted personel to fly them. but if you put weapons on a UAV's then you are asking for untold head-aches because you can create problems where if there is a manned aircraft in its place wrongful deaths of innocent people might be averted. and again don't you think we have enough soldiers comming up on charges of murder,or down right brutality as it is. we don't need any more heros turned killers as some of our doves see it.

Posted by: ron pond at April 23, 2008 07:48 PM

If the airforce saves money becouse thy need less polits. That frees up funds for other endeveres.

Posted by: steve0 at April 23, 2008 06:17 PM

I'm actually wondering if the SecDef is frustrated due to the Reaper losses (see Strategy Page website) impacting availability?

Anyhooo...Believe it or not, there are very different skill sets AND mindsets needed to operate (not just 'fly') UAVs than manned aircraft. The gentleman who trained me once theorized that he found it tougher to train rated pilots to fly RPVs because he had to RE-train them. A study with the very long title "US Military Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Mishaps: Assessment of the Role of Human Factors Using Human Factors Analysis and Classification System (HFACS)" was published in 2005 (and now it is available to the public online via DTIC) that provides some interesting insight into some of the challenges and I think supports my instructors views.

Now, the insistence on having officers fly aircraft by any service is pure BS. The multimillion dollar aircraft is maintained by a 19 year-old crew chief or plane captain who is just as responsible for the survival of the aircraft as the 26 year old 0-3, and the NCO M-1 tank commander can wreak just as much havoc (or more) as any commissioned meat-servo in an F-16.

The original reasons why the AF wanted college-educated officers flying aircraft was sound, but like a lot of things Hap Arnold (or anybody else) envisioned, things started deviating from the plan. Over time it devolved to the point that became a 'fraternity' as much as a band of brothers.

Mandatory disclaimer: And yes, I'm still beaked that they 'absorbed' my career field into oblivion 'coincidently' about the same time they needed a place to park 'banked' pilots.

Posted by: SMSgt Mac at April 23, 2008 09:32 AM

Having been an NCO with a fighter squadron in the Navy, they want only the best and brightest flying the 100 million dollar aircraft.
I can understand that. Manned fighter aircraft have many rolls, and things go wrong in flight that need attention.
A war can start over the actions of a fighter jet.
However, with that said, the predators are a bit different. With the advent of computer flight control, and the fact they are not going toe to toe with other aircraft (limited roles), I do not see why a Warrant Officer or NCO can not do the job.
Unlike the cockpit of a aircraft, it is easy for an enlisted operator of an unmanned aircraft to ask the Top officer for permission to fire a weapon from a Predator. He/she is in the same room and will probably be monitoring the situation in real time with the operator.
In the future, there may be unmanned fighter aircraft. At that point they probably should be trained pilots. Since they will be assuming the exact same responsibilities as a fighter pilot today.....Including dog fighting, which is a skill unto itself.

Posted by: Dennis at April 23, 2008 08:42 AM

is this really about officers vs NCO's? are they saying that nco's cant handle the responsiblity of operating a uav and only officers can do it? i dont know i know i was a tank commander at 24 and most of my other platoon tank commanders were under the age of 27. i think again the difference is cultural i mean in the army if the lt is killed the senior nco is expected to replace him. i the air force if officers are kill are the senior ncos expected to replace them or is their function just doing maintaince for the flyboys? i the army you have flying ncos or warrent officers.

Posted by: slntax at April 23, 2008 08:00 AM

Gates Addresses ISR, UAV Difficulties

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