U.S. Air Force Wants Stealthier Unmanned Systems For Surveillance, Combat

The U.S. military is increasingly relying on unmanned aerial systems for surveillance and combat, but with increasing concerns about the need to gather intelligence in more contested airspace, the Pentagon says it needs more technically advanced UAVs.

Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements Lt. Gen. Philip Breedlove told Fox News recently that future missions may require UAVs with more advanced stealth characteristics than are currently available. He said that an increase in terrorist activities is driving part of that need, but there is also the possibility that the next war could be against an enemy with a more sophisticated Air Force and well-equipped military.

There are currently about 45 UAVs operating in Afghanistan and Iraq. Breedlove said that they are on track to record a million hours of CAP duty over war zones by the first of the year. He said that operation of unmanned platforms is the Air Force's primary manpower issue, with as many as 200 people needed to operate one UAV on a 24-hour basis.

While Breedlove would not be specific about some of the technology currently under development, he did discuss a sensor called the "Gorgon Stare," which is named after a creature in Greek mythology who's look would turn a person to stone. The sensor would allow a UAV to search a wider area, and distribute intelligence gathered from multiple areas simultaneously.

FMI: www.af.mil