The Wave of the Present - Remotely-Piloted Aircraft in Air Force Culture

Abstract

The 21st Century has posed challenges that have forced the Air Force to re-examine its identity and culture. Aircraft flying over hostile skies these days may not even contain pilots. Remotely-piloted aircraft have resurfaced in the past 15 years and have taken center stage in current conflicts. The Air Force is facing a period of cultural friction while integrating this artifact since it challenges some of the Air Forces basic underlying assumptions.This study addresses the cultural challenges the Air Force will face as the role of remotely-piloted aircraft expands, and it gives insight into how Air Force culture will shape and be shaped by these artifacts. The study begins by analyzing organizational culture and identifying two of the Air Forces basic underlying assumptions: pilots fly aircraft, and pilots lead the Air Force. The author introduces a model for innovation that shows how artifacts increase in relevance and produce subcultures. The author then applies this model to four time periods in history where major artifacts (airplane, bomber, ICBM, and fighter) developed subcultures that affected Army and Air Force doctrine. Through the lens of this innovation model, a history of the remotely-piloted aircraft is analyzed to discover reasons for periods of high and low activity within the Air Force. An assessment of modern activity demonstrates how the remotely-piloted aircraft is poised to become a primary artifact in Air Force culture.The analysis concludes with two possible outcomes for the future depending on the actions of Air Force leaders: an independent subculture for remotely-piloted aircraft operators, or an integrated culture that synchronizes manned and unmanned operations. This study determines that integrated culture provides the best avenue to maximize remotely-piloted capabilities while mitigating friction. It also recommends the Air Force decrease cultural friction through an acculturation process between manned and unmanned cultures.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 01, 2010
Accession Number
AD1019233

Entities

People

  • James A. Sweeney

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Air Power
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Control Systems
  • Defense Systems
  • Employment
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Remotely Piloted Vehicles
  • Second World War
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Business

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy