美国空军无人机指导概述 2013-2038

U.S. Air Force Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Vector Report 2013-2038

RPA Vector: Vision and Enabling Concepts

2013–2038

∙101 pages

∙February 17, 2014

Over the last decade, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) have become a critical

component in the application of airpower and one of the most ―in demand‖ platforms the Air Force provides to the joint force. RPA accentuate the core tenets of

persistence, flexibility, and versatility of mission. Along with information collection and attack capabilities, they have a proven record as force multipliers during the contingency operations of the last decade. Their utility across the range of military operations (ROMO) remains mostly untested, as RPA, similar to all new acquisitions

in the last decade, have not routinely operated in contested airspace or in an A2/AD environment. Current systems have operated in contested threat environments over Baghdad and Libya, though operations were dependent upon the type of platform and network capability. Today, RPA provide near-real-time information, not only to senior operational decision makers but also directly to joint and coalition forces in the field. RPA aid forces in combat currently perform selective precision strike missions against pre-planned or high-value opportunities, minimizing risk of collateral damage.

The Air Force has taken preliminary steps toward a comprehensive service-wide review of future RPA applications. In addressing the continued growth of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), the Air Force will consider a broad doctrinal look at the kind of missions RPA have supported in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) and Operation ENDURING FREEDOM (OEF) and will look at the strengths and challenges as well as the current and future demands of the combatant commanders (CCDR) to understand how all components and capabilities can contribute to the successful execution of all phases of conflict.

This level of understanding is needed to determine what forces and resources need to be established in baseline budgets from which we would surge in crisis to achieve operational plans strategies, what risk we are willing to accept, or how such risk could be mitigated.

1.1 Purpose And Scope

Both the current fiscal and future operational environments facing the Air Force influence the landscape for investments in the development and fielding of new technologies. This document refines the Air Force strategic vision for the future of RPA and reemphasizes the inherent potential and emerging capabilities of small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS). The RPA Vector outlines concepts and capabilities needed over the next 25 years. It can inform the capabilities planning and requirements development process as well as inform the CFLIs as they execute their responsibilities for implementation planning in the plans, programming, budgeting and execution process.

Technology advancements must increasingly leverage open architecture, autonomy, modularity, and interoperability to maximize both system effectiveness and service investments. Open architecture and open interfaces need to be leveraged to address problems with proprietary system architectures. Standards and interface specifications need to be established to achieve modularity, commonality, and interchangeability across payloads, control systems, video/audio interfaces, data, and communication links. This openness will enhance competition, lower life-cycle costs, and provide warfighters with enhanced unmanned capabilities that enable commonality and joint interoperability on the battlefield. Focused investments must be made in today’s