Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles

With the success of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) in Operations Allied Force, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom, many in Congress and DoD are pushing to put more UAV capability on the battlefield of tomorrow. More importantly, the desire is to have these UAVs shift from reconnaissance to offensive combat platforms commonly referred to as UCAVs (Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles). UCAV's first mission is Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD) and its complementary mission of Electronic Warfare (EW) sometimes referred to as jamming. Early support for these particular missions can be traced to a couple of factors. The first is the need to supplement and eventually replace the current Low Density/High Demand (LD/HD) manned systems such as the F-16CJ for SEAD and the EA-6B for EW. While these assets are limited in quantity, they are also artificially limited in employment capability due to concern for the aircrew in the dangerous environment in which they are forced to operate. This paper investigates the UCAV alternatives, to include sensor and weapon technology, and then recommends a course of action. The challenges of making a UCAV that can do the same job as a manned aircraft cheaper and more effectively will be the key drivers in deciding whether this is the right direction.