UAV Employment in Kosovo: Lessons for the Operational Commander

Abstract

This paper addresses how the operational commander used Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) during Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. The air phase of Operation Allied Force marked the largest employment of UAVs in military history. The writer argues that UAV doctrine and contingency operations must evolve in order for the operational commander to fully integrate UAVs into the joint force, and UAV intelligence and targeting, combined with reduced risk to U.S. pilots, significantly enhance the warfighting capability of the operational commander. This paper will first analyze the history of UAVs, then discuss their types and capabilities. Next, it will examine UAV employment in Kosovo, and analyze their effectiveness using operational factors as a tool. Finally, the paper will examine their losses, discuss potential roles in peace operations, and deduce lessons learned. Future operations will benefit from improved joint force integration and interoperability of UAVs.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 08, 2000
Accession Number
ADA378573

Entities

People

  • J. R. Dixon

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aerial Warfare
  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircrafts
  • Altitude
  • Attrition
  • Command And Control
  • Employment
  • Lessons Learned
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • Surveillance
  • Synthetic Aperture Radar
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Joint Military Operations and Doctrine.
  • Military History / Militaries and War Studies

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs