Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Advanced Coordination and Increased Visibility Needed to Optimize Capabilities

DOD components have developed guidance to facilitate the integration of UAS into combat operations; however, further steps are needed to fully coordinate the deployment of these assets. For example, DOD developed a Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for the Tactical Employment of Unma...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pickup, Sharon L, Lentini, Patty, Brown, Renee, Khanna, Jamie, Lenane, Kate, Lindsey, LaShawnda, Matvay, Elisha, Tindall, Susan
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
AIR FORCE
AIRCRAFT
COORDINATES
DEPLOYMENT
DRONES
EFFICIENCY
Human Factors Engineering & Man Machine System
ISR(INTELLIGENCE SURVEILLANCE RECONNAISSANCE)
MILITARY FORCES(UNITED STATES)
MILITARY OPERATIONS
Military Operations, Strategy and Tactics
MILITARY PLANNING
MILITARY TACTICS
NAVY
Pilotless Aircraft
TACTICAL WARFARE
THEATER LEVEL OPERATIONS
UAS(UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS)
VISIBILITY
WARFARE
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Summary:DOD components have developed guidance to facilitate the integration of UAS into combat operations; however, further steps are needed to fully coordinate the deployment of these assets. For example, DOD developed a Multi-Service Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for the Tactical Employment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems and a Joint Concept of Operations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems.5 This guidance represents an important first step for the use of UAS in combat operations and DOD officials acknowledge these documents will continue to evolve as DOD learns more about the capabilities of UAS and other ISR assets and their application in combat operations. However, the guidance does not address, on a DOD-wide basis, the issue of advance coordination, which CENTCOM has recognized is a critical factor in integrating UAS into combat operations by enabling efficient deployment and utilization of assets and by allowing the combatant commander time to plan to support incoming assets. In the absence of such guidance, CENTCOM has established procedures for the services to coordinate system requirements prior to ISR assets arriving into CENTCOM s theater of operations. These procedures apply only to CENTCOM s theater of operations. However, we found that CENTCOM s procedures for advance coordination were not always followed because the services indicated that they were not aware of the requirement. According to CENTCOM officials, they distributed these procedures to each of CENTCOM s service components, such as Central Command Air Forces and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, but were not aware if they were distributed further, and the service officials we interviewed were not aware of the requirement.