The Army VTOL Surveillance Aircraft Program,
Abstract
The necessity for surveillance or observation of one military force by another has always been a key point of Army strategy since the earliest times. The first use of aircraft by the U. S. Army can be traced to the requirement for observation during the Civil War when hydrogen balloons were used. Surveillance was the military requirement behind the procurement of the first heavier than air craft procured by the U. S. military forces. It can be said that the Mohawk is truly a direct descendent of the Wright Model B. Previous to World War II, emphasis was placed upon the fighting type of aircraft by the Army Air Corps, which made it necessary to press into service light civilian aircraft, such as the Piper Cub, to fulfill the needs of the battlefield commander for observation and fire control of his weapons. Thus we again see the employment of aircraft as observation platforms, or in reality an extension of the ground commander's weapons system. The employment of aircraft as an organic part of and to improve the effectiveness of surface weapons typifies the Army's use of aircraft.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- ADA307142
Entities
People
- G. I. Schuck
- J. Beebe
Organizations
- United States Army Materiel Command