What Impact Do Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Have on Military Aviation?

Running Head : UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Introduction

The airborne collection of intelligence , surveillance and reconnaissance has always been peripheral to the United States Air Force 's core strategic-bombing and air-superiority missions . The peripheral status of these missions suggests that the service will modernize its core missions before undertaking their modernization . This status also reduces the likelihood that the military will undertake their system-based modernization . This case , however , violates these expectations since the Defense Department developed endurance

unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs ) to conduct theater airborne reconnaissance - a peripheral military mission . The Air Force , furthermore , adopted these systems , and its units created new operational routines to exploit their capabilities . This explores various aspects of UAV development and adoption

Historical Background on Reconnaissance UAVs

The Defense Department had developed unmanned aerial vehicles for decades and had thousands of flight hours of experience with reconnaissance UAVs , but the military depended exclusively upon piloted systems to collect theater airborne reconnaissance in January 1990 Technological limitations and organizational biases contributed to the absence of UAVs from the military 's inventory at this time . To satisfy JROCM 003-90 's demanding requirements , the Defense Department had to surmount these technological challenges and convince hesitant military organizations to adopt unmanned systems

The military initially developed unmanned aircraft , or drones , to practice aerial gunnery . In the 1960s , the Air Force modified target drones to collect airborne reconnaissance . Ryan Aeronautical Company converted its Q-2C Firebee into Lightening Bug remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs ) in secrecy to conduct reconnaissance missions . Specially configured DC-130 transport aircraft launched these first reconnaissance RPVs the air vehicles attained high subsonic speeds at altitudes of over 50 ,000 feet and , helicopters typically recovered them . After demonstrating their ability to collect reconnaissance , Lightening Bugs were tasked to conduct operational military missions during the Vietnam War

These relatively new technological systems matured considerably as the military learned valuable wartime lessons about the importance of reconnaissance and the vulnerability of its aircrews . In particular , the monsoon season 's cloud cover thwarted high-altitude photographic reconnaissance , and lethal enemy air defenses prevented manned systems from collecting images at lower altitudes . Ryan Aeronautical developed a more accurate navigation system to prevent its air vehicles from getting lost at lower altitudes . It also created more reliable automated flight controls so that its air vehicle could avoid flying into undulating terrain . Once Ryan mastered these technological challenges , its RPVs predominantly conducted low-level penetrating reconnaissance missions over Vietnam

The technical capabilities of RPVs expanded further during their wartime use . Ryan produced about twenty versions of its Lightening Bug RPV during the course of American involvement in hostilities , and these systems flew more than 3 ,400 reconnaissance missions . RPVs collected both imagery and signals intelligence over China , North Vietnam , and other areas of the Far East presenting hazards to manned aircraft . These systems were dropped from manned aircraft , and rockets launched them from the ground . To improve the guidance and control of RPVs , systems were equipped with television...