Have been used in reconnaissance and itelligence-gathering since the 1950's.
More challenging roles are envisioned, including combat missions.
Since 1964 the Defense Department has developed 11 different UAVs. Due to acquisition and development problems only 3 entered productions.
US Navy has studied the feasibility of operating vertical take off and landing (VTOL) UAVs since the early 1960s. The QH-50 torpedo-delivery drone is an early example. High cost and technology immaturity have precluded acquiriing and fielding operational VTOL UAV systems.
By the early 1990s Department of Defense (DoD) sought UAVs to satisfy surveillance requirements in Close Range, Short Range, and Endurance categories.
Close reange is defined to be within 50 kilometers (31.07 miles).
Short Range is defined as within 200 kilometers (124.27 miles).
Endurance Range is anything beyond 200 kilometers (124.27 miles).
1 kilometers = 0.621371192 miles
{Idea: Know my distances and be able to go between kilometer and mile in my head.}
By the late 1990s Close and Short Range categories were combined, and a separate Shipboard category emerged.
The current classes of these vehicles are the Tactical UAV and the Endurance category.
{Idea: What about getting some commercial UAVs for show and tell}
Pioneer:
- Procured beginning in 1985 as an interim UAV capability to provide imagery intelligence for tactical commanders on land and sea at range out to 185 kilometers (114.95 miles).
- No longer in the Army inventory (returned to the US Navy in 1995).
- Designed to support tactical commanders with near-real-time imagery intelligence at ranges up to 200 kilometers (124.27 miles).
- Outrider Advance Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program terminated.
- Material solution for TUAV requirements is being pursued through a competive acquisition process with goal of contract award in DEC 99.
- Developed to provide ground and maritime forces with near-real-time imagery intellignece at ranges up to 200 kilometers (124.27 miles).
- Extensible to 300+ kilometers by using another Hunter UAV as an airborne relay.
- Training base located at Fort Huachuca, with additional baseline at Fort Polk to support JRTC rotations.
- Operational assests based at Fort Hood (currently supporting the (Kosovo Force)
- KFOR in Kosovo).
- Advance Concept Technology Demostration no transitioned to Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP).
- Provides imagery intelligence to satisfy Joint Task Force and Theater Commanders at ranges out to 500 nautical miles (804.67 kilometers).
- No longer in the Army inventroy. Transferred to the US Air Force in 1996.
- Intended for missions requiring long-range deployment and wide-area surveillance (Electro-optic(EO)/Infrared(IR) and Synthic Aperatur Radar(SAR)) or long sensor dwell over the target area.
- Directly deployable from continental United States (CONUS) to the theater of operations.
- Advance Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) manged by the US Air Force.
- The Tactical Control Station is the software and communications links required to control the Tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV), Micro Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (MAE-UAV), and other future tactical UAV's.
- Also provides connectivity to other C41 systems.
- Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program to expl.ore the military relevance of Micro Air Vehicles for future military operations, and to develop and demostrate flight enabling technologies for very small aircraft less than 15 cm/6 in. in and dimension.
