Moving Toward a Joint Acquisition Process to Support ISR (Joint Force Quarterly, Issue 55, 4th Quarter 2009)
Abstract
In 2004, the U.S. Army issued a Critical Mission Needs Statement for a fleet of new unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The Sky Warrior, as the platform was called, would be the Army's premier extended range, multipurpose UAS to support ground operations. The Army subsequently prepared an operational requirements document to specify performance criteria for the Sky Warrior and submitted its request to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC), an all-Service panel that conducts requirements analysis, validates mission needs, and recommends priorities for funding. The request was immediately challenged by the council's Air Force representative representative. In the Air Force's opinion, its existing MQ-1 Predator UAS, operationally deployed since 1999 and a seasoned veteran of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, could meet all of the Army's requirements with minimal modification. The Army countered that the Air Force's objection was actually a veiled attempt to retain operational control of the air space and be recognized as the "executive agent" for medium- and high-altitude UAS across the entire Department of Defense (DOD). After much debate,
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA515304
Entities
People
- Del C. Kostka
Organizations
- National Defense University