The Future of Unmanned Flight

The infrastructure of the Air Force is aging.  The average age of an airplane is 25 years, and even older for Strategic Bombers, with an average age of 34 years, and Tanker Aircraft, at 47 years.

Unfortunately, many in Washington are reluctant to make the investments necessary to keep our Air Force strong and well equipped.  The failure to modernize comes to the detriment of our airmen and pilots, making their jobs more difficult and dangerous, and costs more money in the long run.

Meanwhile, some new weapons programs – like unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs – have already saved taxpayers billions and will continue to provide savings for the next generation.

Unmanned aerial vehicles are a proven technology that should continue to be a significant part of Air Force modernization programs.   A Teal Group analyst has predicted that in a time of defense cuts and shrinking budgets, this growth trend will defy trends and continue upwards, estimating a near doubling of market share by 2020 to $11.3 billion annually, up from $5.9 billion today.  Teal notes that "The U.S. market is expected to account for 77 percent of worldwide research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) spending on UAV technology over the next decade, and roughly 69 percent of the procurement."

UAVs are being used by the military increasingly in integrated operations for various missions, and theater commanders needing a broad overview and systematic target surveillance rely on the Global Hawk, recently profiled on Secure Freedom Radio.  Developed by Northrop Grumman, it is designed to conduct high altitude surveillance missions and replace the U-2 spy planes, in use since the 1950s.  The Global Hawk can fly missions for up to 36 hours, three times the flying time of a U-2,  due to the lifting of pilot restrictions.  The UAV can also hover, essentially allowing for continuous surveillance on a battlefield or intelligence target and carries three cameras for surveillance, an electro-optical, black and white still camera; infrared, and a radar imaging camera.  The latest version has new sensor capabilities, employing  Multi-Platform Radar Technology  for improved surveillance .

As Col. Ed Walby of Northup’s High Altitude Long Endurance Systems Enterprise recently told Secure Freedom Radio, the Global Hawk requires fewer personnel for maintenance and operations.  When the UAV first deployed in the Persian Gulf, he says, "I had twenty-five people with me. The U-2 had almost a hundred and sixty people with its deployed element. So you have a hundred and sixty people you have to protect, a hundred and sixty people you have to worry about, feed, they’re away from their families, etceteras. On Global Hawk, the twenty-five people with me were mostly maintenance. All the pilots, except for a handful, were back home at Beale Air Force Base. And so the infrastructure that you normally carry with you can stay home because they’re flying the mission."

UAVs like the global hawk demonstrate the  benefits from continued smart investments in a strong national defense.  While it may seem tempting for deficit-cutters to save money in the near term, the failure to invest in improved and fiscally prudent capabilities, such as UAVs, would be of great detriment to the United States.  America must continue to invest in defending its future, and improving its ability to project power and comfort to the rest of the world.