Raising the Bar: The Future of Individual Lift Devices in Warfare
Abstract
Development of Individual Lift (IL) technology over the last century has been sporadic and underwhelming, however, recent commercial investment has reinvigorated their potential. To embrace these promising developments in IL technology civilian and military proponents must first overcome skeptical views of ILDs. To achieve this, military institutions must conduct an impartial assessment of the feasibility of IL technology, consider the future role of ILDs in warfare, as well as develop methods to counter an adversary with an advantage in IL technology. The strengths of IL technology include its flexibility, low signature, and relatively low cost compared to existing aviation platforms. The opportunities for ILDs include advances in power technology and integration with other mobility platforms. These characteristics are sufficient to warrant further examination of ILDs military potential. This paper asserts that further examination will reveal that mature IL technology will enhance a military force's ability to conduct distributed maneuver, undermine anti-access/area-denial defenses, augment autonomous systems, and defeat adversaries in complex terrain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1179023
Entities
People
- Matthew Dirago
Organizations
- Marine Corps University