Inter-Service Bickering For Naught

The US Air Force has been rebuffed in its effort to become the central agency for medium and high-altitude unmanned aircraft used in warfare by the US.

As ANN reported, the Air Force has argued that the increasing number of UAVs used in combat required better organization, and that single-point procurement would avoid redundancy and waste.

The Army and Marines argued that their modern, fast-moving ground forces needed control over their own craft in battle. Outside analysis said competition in UAV development was helpful, reports the Air Force Times.

And so, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England announced in a memo written last week that the defense undersecretary for acquisition will create a task force to coordinate critical UAS issues, while the Joint Requirements Oversight Council will coordinate the development of training and tactics.

"We’re trying to determine a way ahead, and this is an interim way of looking at the situation," a senior DoD official told the Times. "We can now see the kind of questions that need to be answered, and this addressed the equities of all the services involved."

England also ordered the merger of the USAF Predator and the US Army Sky Warrior programs by October of next year.

"I believe the secretary made the right decision," said Tim Owings, the Army’s deputy project manager for unmanned aircraft systems. "What you are going to see is increased collaboration between the Army and the Air Force with a big ability to focus on service specific needs."

FMI: www.af.mil