SSC Demonstration Expected Results
Spotlight tactical UAVs role in SSC
- Capture AF interest while supporting AEFs
- Introduce “Family of TUAV concept”
- Provide a forward deployed real-time situational awareness solution to JTF & SOF forces at “tip of spear”
Provide baseline for concept development of TUAV employment, tactics and techniques
Propose acquisition of a near-term solution to meet SOF/theater requirements in SSC environments
Notes:
The job ahead after the demonstration is the hard part. Convincing the USAF that VTOL UAVs time has come for AF and Joint SOF is challenging, but receiving surprising attention. We hope this demonstration will cause action. We intend to show the benefits of Tactical UAVs in support of SSC missions and even into other areas such as full AEF deployments. It has applications in the force protection arena, as well as, supporting forward projection of light airborne forces in missions requiring timely situational awareness which require a direct feed to the shooter.
In the end, we hope to propose a low-cost solution to this address the deficiency several commands have already identified.
We are confident we can show the benefit of using a VTOL UAVs to reduce or remove direct risk to our ground and air forces. Use of a VTOL UAV in the urban environment may prove to be a force enhancement as the Marines and other government agencies have found. In addition to serving joint needs, a VTOL UAV can provide great benefit to coalition forces and also the media by allowing information gathered on crisis events to be broadcast as required.
In conjunction with the other services’ experiments and demonstrations, we our is demonstration provides the stepping stone to fielding a gap filler system until a complete family of tactical UAVs can be developed