Ground forces throughout the military rely heavily on the aerial systems used by their aviation assets in order to accomplish their missions. Advances in technology have evolved the types of aircraft used in battle, and while the manned aviation asset is still the leading system used, unmanned systems are steadily moving forward. Manned aircraft systems have both advantages and disadvantages as well as unmanned aircraft systems. The military utilizes both of these systems to complement each other in the battlefield. In this topic, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages for both systems.
Time is of the essence. As leaders, we are very familiar with this term. Timing in the battlefield can lead to either victory or death. Manned aircraft pilots are far more capable of observing the situation in aerial combat allowing them to cut delays between observing and acting on a potential enemy threat by as much as ten seconds. This allows the pilot of the aircraft to place him or herself into a favorable position (Why UAVs Cannot Replace Fighter Aircraft, 2013). In January of 2010, the National Defense Magazine reported that battlefield officers do not want entirely all unmanned systems (Ground Forces Still Want Manned Surveillance Aircraft, General Says, 2010). An intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) Task Force began to develop the MC-12 Liberty aircraft as Major General Bradley A. Hiethold said “there is something special, if you will, about a manned ISR platform” (Ground Forces Still Want Manned Surveillance Aircraft, General Says, 2010). He also recalled an incident where a ground force commander wanted some up-to-date images of where his area troops were about to enter. The ground commander was able t...
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Knowledge Online Magazine. (2007, February). Retrieved January 27, 2014, from https://safety.army.mil/Knowledge/Articles_Feb_07/your_only_human.html Latest Apache Helicopter Controls Unmanned Aircraft | Aviation International News. (n.d.).
Retrieved January 25, 2014, from http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ain-defense- perspective/2012-04-13/latest-apache-helicopter-controls-unmanned-aircraft Rajan, R. (2013). Are the Days of the Manned Combat Aircraft Numbered? » Indian Defence
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For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
The Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) is a network of select aircraft from several commercial airlines that are all committed in various amounts to the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide airlift resources when the capability of U.S. military aircraft is exceeded. This system is designed so that these carriers can provide military cargo movement and troop transportation to anywhere in the world on short notice in the event of a military conflict. In order for airlines to join the CRAF, they must commit at least 30 percent of their long-range passenger fleet and 15 percent of their long-range cargo planes (Fact Sheet, 2004). These aircraft must also be U.S. registered, capable of over water operations, and have at least four complete crews assigned for each aircraft (Fact Sheet, 2004). Airlines that participate in CRAF have provided vital support to our military since the Korean War (Graham, David, 2003). The Persian Gulf War was the first official activation of the CRAF, where two thirds of the troops and one quarter of the air cargo was moved by commercial airplanes (Graham, 2003). Though not officially activated, the CRAF is currently supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom, providing nearly double the amount of aircraft that the DoD has estimated for its most demanding war strategies. This paper will provide a brief explanation of the purpose of the CRAF, its history, the effectiveness of the program, and a quick look towards the future of the CRAF.
unmanned are being used in the new concept of military operations. The placement of Special
Bolkcom, Christopher. "V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Congressional Research Service Report for Congress." Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division Congressional Research Service, The Library of Congress. N.p., 7 Jan. 2005. Web. 16 Mar. 2014.
During World War II (WW2) the aeroplane proved to be the military’s greatest asset. It was dominant as it was versatile. Unlike the tank, boat or even the foot soldier the planes can serve in all areas of one countries military, land, sea and of course the air. They could fight where ever needed. Not only did they attack in dog fights or bombing raids they could go for a surveillance or reconnaissance to assist their forces. They destroyed many enemies industrial plants and provided many ground combat support.
The F-22 is the newest Fighter in the Air Forces arsenal. The F-22 has trounced the best opponent that the USAF could muster. Despite its youth as a fighter the current pilots consider it to be nearly as reliable as mature F-15 and F-16 fighters. In the following essay we will cover the F-22 program, weapons, stealth, and avionics. I hope to some day be inside the cockpit of an F-22 as a full fledge fighter pilot in the USAF. The F-22 has been projected to be in services for more than 25 years as an active fighter. Its revolutionary design has been compared to the introduction of the jet engine, correlating aviations directional change to a new branch in design capability.
Lawson, Robert L., and Barrett Tillman. U.S. Navy Air Combat: 1939-1946. Osceola, WI: MBI Pub., 2000. Print.
"Wrights’ Perspective on the Role of Airplanes in War." Wright Stories Wright Brothers Inventing The Airplane History of Flight Kitty Hawk Wright Contemporaries Military Airplane RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr.
In 1968, the United States Army activated the 123rd Aviation Battalion, creating a remarkable unit that was comprised of several Army assets. The design of the battalion revolutionized how assets could be combined to complete many missions by mixing infantry, signal, aviation, and support units. The 123rd’s mission ranged from was to collect intelligence, deliver supplies, insert and extract infantrymen, and provide air support. In addition to their primary mission they also participated in medical evacuation, an invaluable asset on the battlefields of Vietnam.
- - -, dir. “Tactical Air Control Party Specialist (TACP).” U.S. Air Force. U.S. Air Force, n.d. Web. 7 Feb. 2012. .
The military use of lethally autonomous robots (LAR) is not science fiction – it is happening right now. A robot is a mechanism guided by automatic controls. Autonomous robots are able to independently maintain stability and plan action. The first generation of military robots have operated under direct human control. The most well-known military robots are “drones” or unmanned aerial vehicles. The drone system currently in use is the unmanned aerial vehicles IAI Pioneer & RQ-1 Predator which can be armed with air-to-ground missiles and remotely operated from a command center. Drones have already been used by the U.S. military for unmanned air attacks in Afghanistan, Pakistan and other war zones. (Merchant, 276).
The use of drones as weapons of war and delivery and surveillance systems should not be dismissed because many people do not realize the real capabilities of drones and how they can be used to better the world through efficient air strikes, faster delivery times, and useful surveillance. Some of the most common misconceptions about drones arise due to the lack of knowledge about what drones are. A drone is a remote controlled, pilotless aircraft that can be used to survey an area, conduct stealth missions, and deliver supplies into difficult to reach areas (Drone). Unmanned aircraft are also, contrary to popular belief, not solely machines that kill without even a thought to who is being fired upon. They have proved to be effective surveillance units in areas that may be dangerous for manned aircraft to fly, along with the potential to be reliable delivery units (Drones).
The U.S. army has come up with a digital warfare system called Army Battle Command System. This system can scan digital street maps, monitor enemy positions, zoom in on individual buildings through satellite imagery and download instructions from commanders. The Army Battle Command System has been but in to a hand full of Humvees in Iraq. This technology was originally designed for battlefield combat which was tanks and helicopters, but now they have found that it is much more useful for hunting rebel leaders and trailing street fighters.
Tice, Brian P. (1991). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – The Force Multiplier of the 1990s. Airpower Journal.