Nano Air Vehicles: A Technology Forecast

Abstract

This paper documents the result of a future technology forecast study to determine when operationally useful nano-air vehicles (NAVs) will be achieved. This was accomplished as part of the Blue Horizons Research Team tasked by the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force to explore emerging technologies and make recommendations for long-range investments. This study utilized a future forecasting method called the Delphi Method, which was developed by the RAND Corporation in the 1960s. The results indicate that NAVs capable of operating in swarms will be available within 10 years to perform operational missions. The study recommends that the Air Force begin work now to fully develop operational concepts and requirements for NAVs. It also is important that capability requirements for swarming NAVs are defined across the services to gain efficiencies in development and acquisition of these systems, and to avoid duplication in requirements and programs.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA497518

Entities

People

  • William A. Davis

Organizations

  • Air War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Sensors
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Defense
  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Birds
  • Collision Avoidance
  • Control Systems
  • Delphi Method
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Energetic Materials
  • Energy Storage
  • Explosives
  • Guidance
  • Surveillance
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • War Colleges

Readers

  • Aerial Unmanned Vehicle Swarm Micro Periodontal Dentistry.
  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Defense Acquisition Program Management