Unmanned Airlift: How Should We Proceed?

Abstract

In 1996, the U,S Air Force Scientific Advisory Board identified 22 missions that might be accomplished by UAVs. Of the identified missions, there have been many studies conducted on the use of UAVs for intelligence, surveillance, and even combat applications, but none have been completed about the use of UAVs for air mobility roles, either tanker or airlift aircraft. This study seeks to break new ground by trying to answer the question, "How should we proceed?" to make the concept of unmanned airlift a reality. To this end, this study provides a conceptual survey of the strategic need for unmanned airlift, it discusses how operational pressures on the National Aerospace System (NAS) are driving the advancement of automating technologies, and it shows how this drive toward automation is laying the foundation for unmanned airlift. Based upon this foundation, this paper will sketch a path to the future, identifying critical requirements, studies, and technologies that will help make unmanned airlift a reality.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2002
Accession Number
ADA420662

Entities

People

  • John T. Budd

Organizations

  • Air Command and Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Counter WMD
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Air Traffic
  • Air Traffic Control Systems
  • Air Transportation
  • Aircraft Equipment
  • Aircraft Industry
  • Aircrafts
  • Control Systems
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Military Aircraft
  • Remotely Piloted Vehicles
  • Sense And Avoid Systems
  • Space Systems
  • Tanker Aircraft
  • Transport Aircraft
  • United States
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - UAVs
  • Space