The Potential for Growth: Aerospace Applications of Unmanned Systems in Urban Operations Series

摘要

This paper provides a review of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab’srn(UAVB) efforts to address aerospace applications of unmanned systems in an UrbanrnEnvironment for future Joint and Combined Operations. Additionally, it makesrnrecommendations for future actions which must occur to make unmanned systems morerneffective. The demonstration of aerospace unmanned systems in Afghanistan identifiedrnthe need for more aggressive implementation of tactics, techniques, and technology torndeal with emerging threats. As the war on terrorism expands, urban environments willrnlikely become places of combat. In early 2000, the Rand Corporation Study identifiedrnmany applications to address the urban problem. This paper builds on the Rand studyrnand addresses specific options and solutions in the immediate future and recommends arnconsolidated approach to using the entire spectrum of both air and ground unmannedrnsystems in joint and combined urban operations. Several breakthroughs in technologyrnprovide excellent opportunities to provide “tip of the spear shooters” with real-timerninformation directly from unmanned systems. One of the goals is to pre-emptrnoccurrences similar to the events in Mogadishu, Somalia, 1993. Increased internationalrnemphasis on anti- and counter-terrorism drives the need to meld technology withrnoperational efficiency to protect forces and identify time critical threats in allrnenvironments.