Expendable Remotely Piloted Vehicles for Strategic Offensive ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Fuel SavingsFuel savings is an area disadvantageous for manned aircraft and advantageousfor unmanned means. The GAO made a comparison on fuelconsumption of an F-4 and a UAV for the same mission and found the following:The F-4 consumed 460,000 gallons of fuel compared to the UAV’sconsumption of 2,280 gallons. 32 Manned aircraft require considerableamounts of fuel for sustained combat operations. This area is often overlookedin importance, as indicated in the Gulf War Air Power Survey:A dozen airfields had to take air refueling tankers, mostly KC-135s. No otheraspect of CENTAF’s early planning fell so far short of what combat operationsrequired. The planners at Shaw had failed to estimate how dependent air operationswould be on air refueling, given the distances in theater. They had calledfor sixty-eight tankers; in the end combat operations required over 230. 33Relative Ranks for Fuel Savings AreaManned AircraftCruise MissilesReusable Remotely Piloted VehiclesExpendable Remotely Piloted Vehicles◦●●●Small and Less Visible SilhouetteSmall and less visible silhouette is an area in which UAVs have greaterdesign potential over manned systems. The first Firebee prototype hadstealth characteristics in 1960 that future aircraft designers would continueto use.It is interesting to note that this early RPV was to be designed with low radarreflectivityin mind, a very important aspect of covert flying . . . Experimentswith scale models had shown that radar reflectivity could be reduced in a numberof ways, including the introduction of a screen of mesh wire over the intakes,coating the nose-section with non-conductive paint and attaching asheet of radar absorbent material to each side of the fuselage. These measureswere successfully applied to full-scale versions of the RPV. 34The design flexibility of UAVs offers many possibilities for smaller radarcross sections as well as daytime operating advantages over current systemssuch as the F-117 and the B-2. “Design freedom allowed by eliminatingthe pilot will permit the radar cross section of UCAVs to be reducedby one-fourth and effectively reduce the enemy’s area of radar coverage byone-sixteenth.” 35Manned aircraft, like the F-117 and B-2, have stealth technology tominimize radar reflections. The performance of the F-117 in the Gulf Warproves the value of this technology; however, its missions were limited tonighttime operations. “High visibility and distinctive shapes are a majorlimitation of the F-117, F-22, and, in particular, the large, black B-2bomber.” 36 During a bombing run (the most dangerous portion of a B-2’s47
mission) the open bomb bay doors significantly increase the aircraft’sradar cross section.There are many efforts currently under way to further improve radarmasking. One method uses an electrical charge across the skin of the aircraft:“The manned/unmanned aircraft’s coating, considered a forerunnerof the smart-skin concept, is activated by a 24-volt charge that helps triggerboth radar and visual masking. The electrically charged coating attenuatesradar reflections better than current stealth coatings.” 37 ForUAVs, size and materials not suitable for manned aircraft can be used:“Tests conducted with smaller vehicles at low altitudes and larger onesoperating at higher altitudes indicate that the unmanned aircraft can bemade all but undetectable by conventional radars. Plastics and fiberglasshave proved extremely effective in this respect.” 38Relative Ranks for Small and Less Visible Silhouette AreaManned AircraftCruise MissilesReusable Remotely Piloted VehiclesExpendable Remotely Piloted Vehicles●●●Better Performance in Hazardous, Boring,or Fatiguing ConditionsBetter performance in hazardous, boring, or fatiguing conditions is anarea of advantage for UAVs. Methods do exist to extend the endurance ofhumans involved in combat operations, but these involve chemical stimulants:“. . . if they tire during an extended crisis, they may be able to relyon drugs that enhance or extend performance with few side effects.” 39With multiseat, manned aircraft the pilots can alternate control responsibilitiesduring extended flights. However, strategic strike aircraft such asthe F-117 do not offer this luxury.RPVs offer the greatest advantage in this area as pilots or contro l l e r scan operate on a rotating shift without breaking mission continuity.Such an operational concept would be re q u i red for UAVs, which canstay aloft for long durations. For example, the high-altitude, long-enduranceUAV is designed to fly above 65,000 feet and stay airborne forseveral days. 40A l t e rnating between remote control and autonomousoperations would also be a part of operational pro c e d u res. Military andindustry studies have been perf o rmed on potential RPV operators, anda variety of options exist for future concepts. 41 For example, one scenariouses air traffic controllers to operate multiple RPVs in a holdingp a t t e rn; pilots would receive control to fly them during the en ro u t e48
Page 1 and 2: Expendable Remotely PilotedVehicles
Page 3 and 4: ContentsChapterDISCLAIMER . . . . .
Page 5 and 6: AbstractThe future holds an acceler
Page 7 and 8: AcknowledgmentsI thank all the stud
Page 9 and 10: aircraft. Incorporating the added d
Page 11 and 12: UAVs were more easily defined when
Page 13 and 14: Chapter 4 answers the question: Why
Page 15 and 16: Chapter 2History and BackgroundWe h
Page 17 and 18: The Wright brothers are deservedly
Page 19 and 20: aerial bombs), the British took the
Page 21 and 22: UAVs during World War II to a few g
Page 23 and 24: On 27 October of that year, another
Page 25 and 26: United States to look beyond reconn
Page 27 and 28: ary 1996, Gen Ronald R. Fogleman, A
Page 29 and 30: 29. Shaker and Wise, 28.30. Michael
Page 31 and 32: Chapter 3Strategic Offensive Airpow
Page 33 and 34: ombs, as well as a high sortie rate
Page 35 and 36: It thus follows that future air cam
Page 37 and 38: possible for small formations to ac
Page 39 and 40: spite the successes, it is easily p
Page 41 and 42: The transmissions used by a control
Page 43 and 44: 33. Air Force Scientific Advisory B
Page 45 and 46: diverted 75 percent of its B-29s aw
Page 47 and 48: Table 6Remotely Piloted Vehicle Adv
Page 49 and 50: million dollars each. The unit flya
Page 51: Relative Ranks for Fewer Design Con
Page 55 and 56: Relative Ranks for Flight Noise Are
Page 57 and 58: Owens also stated that the military
Page 59 and 60: All forms of manned and unmanned ai
Page 61 and 62: Relative Ranks for Reliability Area
Page 63 and 64: KEY: ● Major Advantage Counterba
Page 65 and 66: 7. “Report: Military Crashes Down
Page 67 and 68: 62. McGonigle, 34.63. Ibid., 33.64.
Page 69 and 70: expendable RPVs, American political
Page 71 and 72: cybornaut activates engine thruster
Page 73 and 74: Chapter 6ConclusionConstant evaluat
Page 75: one role. A countless combination o

Expendable Remotely Piloted Vehicles for Strategic Offensive ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?