Pulling Teeth: Why Humans Are More Important Than Hardware in Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance

Abstract

The expanded development and employment of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) places a disproportionate focus on the importance of technology over humans in airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. The surge of airborne ISR in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2008 solidifies the importance of manned ISR aircraft and aircrews. Manned airborne ISR provides an indispensable combat capability because technology alone cannot replace the situational awareness, analytical decision reasoning, and flexibility of human ISR aircrew. Airborne ISR in future war will require a mixed fleet of both manned and unmanned aircraft to leverage the complementary strengths and capabilities of each system to maximize airborne ISR effectiveness in increasingly complex operational environments. As history has shown, unmanned technology will continue to complement and empower human aircrews, not replace them. War is an inherently human endeavor that will always require people on and over the battlefield.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 12, 2015
Accession Number
ADA623948

Entities

People

  • Jared B. Patrick

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Autonomy
  • C4I
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Airframes
  • Command And Control
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Employment
  • Fixed Wing Aircraft
  • Military History
  • Military Operations
  • National Security
  • Radar
  • Reconnaissance
  • Surveillance
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
  • Unmanned Systems
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Agent-Based Social Robotics and Mobile-Assisted Learning in Virtual Environments.
  • Strategic Security Studies
  • Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Autonomous Capabilities and Mission Reconnaissance.

Technology Areas

  • Autonomy
  • Autonomy - Human-Robot Interaction
  • Autonomy - UAVs