CHAPTER I

OVERVIEW

1. General

  1. Present reconnaissance assets available to the commander are generally large, costly, and usually manned, or are satellite systems. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provides an additional capability to the commander to conduct day or night reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA), rapid battle damage assessment (BDA), and battlefield management (within line-of-sight (LOS) of the ground control station (GCS)) in high-threat or heavily defended areas where the loss of high-value, manned systems is likely and near-real-time information is required. Employment of UAVs in Vietnam and Operation DESERT STORM proved the capability of the UAV in a combat environment. UAVs require relatively few maintenance, control, and operating personnel or transportation assets for deployment (versus manned fixed-wing, helicopter, or radio units). Satellite systems are national assets and may not be available, or it may take too long to get the information from these assets to the supported commander. UAVs provide commanders with an enhanced capability to collect, disseminate, and exploit combat intelligence information in near real time.

  2. UAVs are significant force enhancers. When first introduced, the UAVs were referred to as remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs). With the development of DOD-approved class categories, the name has been changed to UAV. The term UAV will be used throughout this publication.

  3. Future improvements promise mission area growth. The UAV also provides fire support agencies an ability to target and adjust supporting arms at significantly greater distances and at reduced risk when compared to current forward observer (FO), forward air controller (FAC), and forward air controller (airborne) (FAC(A)) procedures. The UAV provides near-real-time target information and weapon designation capabilities, which can reduce the risk to manned aircraft performing air-to-surface weapon spotting and delivery. UAV assets can be task organized, and UAV class categories can be selected to achieve maximum flexibility and mission success. Present mission assignments center on the UAV's ability to perform RSTA and BDA.

2. UAV Class Categories. Presently, only one UAV system is fielded, the Pioneer system. Since the short-range UAV (SR-UAV) system will be fielded in the near future, replacing the Pioneer system, the joint tactics, techniques, and procedures (JTTP) in this publication are presented in the context of this category. Other UAV categories are described in general terms to anticipate the employment of newer systems when they become available. The following is a description of UAV class categories and their capabilities.

  1. The close-range UAV (CR-UAV) category addresses the needs of lower level tactical units for a capability to investigate activities within their area of interest and influence. The systems in this category will be easy to launch, operate, and recover. They will require minimum manpower, training, and logistics, and will be relatively inexpensive.

  2. The SR-UAV category supports Army divisions, including detached battalion and brigade task forces and corps, Navy and Air Force combatants, and Marine Air-Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs), meeting the need to cover enemy activities out to a range of 150 kilometers or more beyond the forward line of own troops (FLOT) or launch platform (in naval operations). The UAV systems in this category are more robust and sophisticated, can carry a wider variety of payloads, can consist of more than one air vehicle, and perform more kinds of missions than the close-range systems.

  3. The vertical takeoff and landing UAV (VTOL-UAV) category, formerly referred to as Maritime or VIPER (vertical takeoff and landing integrated platform for extended reconnaissance), will be designed to complement the SR-UAV inventory with a VTOL-capable vehicle and provide a low cost extension of warship sensors, enhance maritime warfighting capabilities, thereby increasing the security of high value naval assets.

  4. The medium-range UAV (MR-UAV) category addresses the need to provide prestrike and poststrike reconnaissance of heavily defended targets at significant ranges and augment manned reconnaissance platforms by providing high quality, near-real-time imagery. MR-UAV systems will differ from other UAV systems in that they will be designed to fly at high subsonic speeds and spend relatively small amounts of time over target areas.

  5. The endurance UAV (E-UAV) category will provide high altitude, heavy payload, multimission, and surrogate satellite support across all mission areas with a flight duration in excess of 24 hours. E-UAV systems will be capable of employing the widest variety of sensors and payloads in support of joint forces.
12-26-1996; 15:20:47