Pilot-less combat aircraft not ready for carrier ops.Unmanned combat aircraft need to overcome significant technical and operational hurdles before they can even be considered suitable for operations aboard Navy flattops, said Rear Adm. John Chenevey, program executive officer for strike weapons and unmanned aviation. The Navy currently is funding a research program for an unmanned combat aircraft, called UCAV-N UCAV-N Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle - Navy . It would be an F-16-size air vehicle that lands and takes off from ships. The current UCAV-N is "a stretch in technology," said Chenevey during a conference hosted by the Office of Naval Research The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR), headquartered in Arlington, Virginia (Ballston), is the office within the U.S. Department of the Navy that coordinates, executes, and promotes the science and technology programs of the U.S. . The UCAV UCAV Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle UCAV Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle UCAV Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicle , he added, "is the future of tactical aviation, [but only] as an addition to manned aviation." On a scale of zero to 10, the current technology would get a six, Chenevey said. Another challenge is to figure out the concept of operations A verbal or graphic statement, in broad outline, of a commander's assumptions or intent in regard to an operation or series of operations. The concept of operations frequently is embodied in campaign plans and operation plans; in the latter case, particularly when the plans cover a series : how the UCAV will be used, how it will fit in the air wing, he said. The more formidable obstacle that UCAVs will encounter is the culture of Navy aviation. The thought of having a 30,000-pound unmanned airplane landing on 300 feet on a carrier flight deck is "a tough sell," said Chenevey. "We have a Long way to go before technology will help us demonstrate that we can land this thing 999 times out of a thousand in a 3-foot box," he said. If the UCAV-N is developed successfully, its most valuable contribution will be "persistent deep surveillance" that currently is not achievable with manned radar aircraft. "We need something that's able to go out and hang over the battlefield around the clock, keep everybody apprised of what is going on day or night." Surveillance, rather than strike, will be the top priority mission for the UCAV. The Navy has more than adequate assets to conduct strike missions, having made a large investment in standoff stand·off n. 1. A tie or draw, as in a contest. 2. A situation in which one force neutralizes or counterbalances the other. 3. A standoff insulator. adj. Standoffish. weapons. "What we need is the ability to target these weapons. That is why we want to go to surveillance first," said Chenevey. Asked why the UCAV has to be as big as an F-16, he said that the current propulsion technology could not support a 3,000 to 4,000 pound payload (1) Refers to the "actual data" in a packet or file minus all headers attached for transport and minus all descriptive meta-data. In a network packet, headers are appended to the payload for transport and then discarded at their destination. in a smaller vehicle. The UCAV, additionally, needs to carry enough fuel for a 12-hour mission. For unmanned aircraft Unmanned Aircraft (UA) is a term used in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) definition of Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS). UA refers to the aircraft portion of the system required to operate it, also known as Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. to become useful in Navy carrier-based operations, planners must decide "how to use them," he said. Otherwise, "why buy them?" |
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