Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; Outrider Demonstrations Will Be Inadequate to Justify Further Production.
Abstract
The Department of Defense (DOD) has undertaken a number of efforts in the past to acquire unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to complement its mix of manned and national reconnaissance assets. Our previous reviews of UAV programs have shown that DOD'S acquisition efforts to date have been disappointing.' This report discusses the Outrider, a UAV system, which DOD is acquiring through a streamlined acquisition process known as an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD). We examined whether (1) DOD is applying lessons learned from prior UAV programs to the Outrider and (2) the Outrider is likely to meet user needs. UAVS are pilotless aircraft, controlled remotely or by preprogrammed on-board equipment. The Outrider system consists of four air vehicles, ground control equipment, one remote video terminal, four modular mission payloads, communications devices, a means of launch and recovery, and one mobile maintenance facility for every three Outrider systems. The Outrider ACTD grew out of the Joint Tactical UAV program. The original concept of the Joint Tactical UAV program was to acquire (1) a 50-kilometer UAV system, the Maneuver, to satisfy reconnaissance and surveillance needs of Army brigade and Marine Corps regimental commanders and (2) a 200-kilometer UAv system, the Hunter, to satisfy the reconnaissance and surveillance needs of Army corps and division commanders and Navy task force commanders.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA329483
Entities
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office