Uninhabited Air Vehicle Critical Leverage System for Out Nation's Defense in 2025
Abstract
The Air Force 2025 was chartered at the direction of then Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF) Gen Ronald R. Fogleman. A document that took a year to research and develop had to answer one question. "What capabilities should the USAF have in 2025 to help defend the nation". When 2025 was published in August 1996, it identified uninhabited air vehicles as one of 10 critical leverage systems critical to the defense of our nation. This paper will discuss how the USAF has been responding in answering the proposed question and also its progress since the identification of these high leverage systems. This study will investigate whether or not the USAF is still committed in exploiting the uninhabited air vehicle systems addressed in Air Force 2025. This paper reviews the USAF 2025 plan and original tasking. There is also a brief background review on UAV development and missions that pave the way to the requirements of UCAVs. There is financial information from the Department of Defense agencies to show the USAF's progress in procuring this high leverage system. A look at world events and technology races was done to see if there were any major impacts that influenced the USAF to pursue this line of defense for our country. Finally, a look at possible consequences to our nation's defense are addressed should the USAF decide not to follow the 2025 plan recommendation to pursue the use of use UCAVs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- ADA425318
Entities
People
- Thomas G. O'reilly
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College