Uninhibited Combat Air Vehicles and Commercial Satellites: 'The Missing Link'

摘要

In the not too far distant future, a new Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV), a cousin of the UAVs flying over Bosnia today, is destined to fly the most sensitive and dangerous missions the USAF is expected to accomplish. This vehicle, though uninhabited, will not operate in a vacuum, but instead will be supported by the most sophisticated network of satellite communications the nation can offer. Today, as our engineers develop a concept that will fly in the first quarter of the 21st century, most of the satellites that will be used to support this aircraft are already in design or in orbit. The Air Force Space Architecture Plan, released in 1996, projects that during the time frame that the UCAV is envisioned to be operational, the U.S. military satellite communications network will be operating. This paper examines the risk mentioned in the space architecture plan. It argues that the use of the newest commercial satellite constellations already in the process of being launched gives the DoD a unique opportunity to meet the warfighter's needs, and argues that commercial low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites is an integral part of the DoD's strategy for the UCAV. The exploitation and partnership with the civil community offers the U.S. a reliable and redundant backup capability by utilizing the technology enhancements already funded and marketed by the commercial space industry. The integration of commercial satellites is the UCAV's 'Missing Link'.