Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Their Growing Role in Shaping Military Doctrine Paweł Bernat

3. ARMED FORCES, MILITRY TECHNOLOGY UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES AND THEIR GROWING ROLE IN SHAPING MILITARY DOCTRINE Paweł Bernat ABSTRACT DOI: 10.26410/SF_1/18/7 The goal of the paper is to present growing influence of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on the shape of military doctrine. Author, in the first part of article, presents terminology and classifications of the UAVs, as well as, the main criteria of the classification which are: thrust, purpose, weight, and range/endurance. The second part of the article is dedicated to military technology. In that part of the article, author presents possible kind of utilization of the UAVs, presenting in the more details military drones. In description of the drones is also part of initial conclusions addressing to the challenges new doctrine and battlefield strategy. In the conclusion author presents the expecting changes in a military doctrine, caused by employing of a new military technology, Dr Paweł Bernat a specially the new kind of drones on the battle field. National Security and Logistics KEY WORDS Department. Polish Airforce Unmanned aerial vehicle, drone, tactics, military doctrine. academy, Dęblin Introduction The goal of the paper is to present to the The classic NATO UAS classification is pro- general reader the up-to-day military drone vided. The last classification discussed is technology, as well as its growing influence pertinent to UAVs’ maximal range, altitude, on military doctrine. and endurance. Here the following types In the first section of the paper the ba- are described: low cost close range, close sic terminology is explained and four main range, short range, medium range, me- classifications of the unmanned aerial ve- dium altitude long endurance (MALE), and hicles are introduced and discussed. The high altitude long endurance (HALE). drones are divided on the basis of the fol- The second part of the article is dedi- lowing criteria: thrust, purpose, weight, and cated to presenting in more detail chosen range/endurance. Next, the differences be- military drones. The section was divided tween combat and surveillance UAVs are into the three following subsections: bat- demonstrated, and the attention is turned tlefield UAVs (where the Black Horner, RO- to the relatively new hybrid type, i.e. the TEM L, and Raven are depicted), ISR UAVs hunter-killer drone. The next criterion used (the Black Hawk, Falco), and combat and for UAVs’ classification is their weight (size). hunter-killer drones (Harpy 2 and Reaper). 78 3.1. ARMED FORCES, MILITARY TECHNOLOGY In description of every drone there is a part ple descriptions presented above have to addressing how the usage of that technol- be nuanced due to differences in how con- ogy changes the battlefield strategy, and in temporary unmanned aircraft are flown. It case of the MALE and HALE class (espe- is not the purpose of this paper to exam- cially the hunter-killer type) how they might ine that problem and try to come up with a influence the military doctrine and war wag- solution. Unless specified differently I will ing in general. use the general terms “unmanned aerial The article is concluded with a more sys- vehicle” (UAV) and “unmanned aerial sys- tematic discussion of the possible military tem” (UAS) interchangebly, although the doctrine alterations caused by employing latter refers both to the drone qas well as new drone technologies. The main founda- the devices and men required for carry- tion for the discussion is the 2011 United ing out missions with it. Optionally piloted Kingdom Ministry of Defence Report: The vehicles (OPV) that can fly with or without UK Approach to Unmanned Aircraft Sys- a human pilot on board, like e.g. Northrop tems, which is an attempt to anticipate Grumman Firebird5, will not be discussed such changes. in the paper. There are many types of military UAVs, Classification of the Military and thus, there are many ways to classify Unmanned Aerial Systems them. I will propose and briefly describe Due to a growing number of drone types four such categories, which are determined and the considerable differences among by the following criteria: 1) thrust, 2) pur- them, any discussion about autonomous pose, ) weight, and ) range/endurance. aerial vehicles should be preceded by 1. There are three main types of aerial a clear statement in regard what kind of drone platforms: a) multirotor, b) fixed- drones one is talking about. Let us start wing, and c) single rotor – helicopter. with basic terminology explanations. a) Multirotor UAVs, sometimes called The most general dictionary definitions multicopters, have more than two of a drone (not a male bee) specify it as an rotors what enables much simpler “unmanned aircraft,”1 or an “aircraft that does mechanics to stabilise and control it. not have a pilot but is controlled by someone John Villasenor, for example, asks interesting ques- on the ground, used especially for dropping tions in that regard: “consider an aircraft that is un- 2 der the control of a remote pilot for most but not all bombs or for surveillance,” or “as a hobby” . of a mission. If the pilot switches to a GPS-guided Some definitions expand the meaning to in- autopilot mode for a few minutes, does the aircraft become a “drone” for that subset of its flight, and clude also marine vehicles and autonomous then lose that designation once the autopilot is steering and elucidate the drone as “an un- switched off? Or does the presence of the GPS autopilot, regardless of how much it is actually used, manned aircraft or ship guided by remote make it a drone?” John Villasenor, What Is a Drone, control or onboard computers”. Anyway?, Scientific American, April 12, 2012. Re- trieved from: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/ There are ongoing discussions consider- guest-blog/what-is-a-drone-anyway/ (11.05.2017). ing the definition because even those sim- Northrop Grumman, Firebird: Persistent Multiple In- telligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. San Margaret Rouse, Drone, TechTarget. Retrieved from: Diego: Marcom, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www. http://internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com/defi- northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/Firebird/Doc- nition/drone (02.05.2017). uments/data_sheet_Firebird.pdf (12.05.2017.) Drone, Cambridge Dictionary. Retrieved from: Of course, one can list other criteria of distinguish- http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/ ing military UAVs like, for example, the level of their drone (02.05.2017). autonomy, maximum speed, or strike precision in Drone, Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved case of UCAVs. However, the discussed four are from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/diction- the most common and telling when describing ary/drone (02.05.2017). types of drones. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and Their GroWing Role... 79 In general, they are very energy in- 2. Traditionally military drones were di- sufficient that negatively effects their vided, based on their purpose, into two endurance and coverage. They are categories, namely a) the intelligence, also rather loud (even the small ones surveillance, reconnaissance type easily reach the level of 70+ dB7), (ISR), and b) unmanned combat aerial which, on the other hand, limits their vehicles (UCAV). It has to be noted how- surveillance capability. ever that that classification should be b) Fixed-wing UAVs are similar to expanded by another, currently much planes as they have the same struc- more numerous than the previous one ture and aerodynamics (use wings to category of ISR-combat hybrids, i.e. c) provide lift) but smaller dimensions. the hunter-killer type of air vehicles. They hence require energy only to a) Drones are a very important com- be moved forward, not to keep sus- ponent of gathering information to pended in the air, and thanks to that reduce uncertainty. Large scale ISR they are much more efficient what UAVs provide “intelligence, a dynamic translated into much longer endur- retasking capability, and real-time ance and coverage. Fixed-wing video imagery” and “an alternative drones are powered by combustion to complement manned aircraft and engines or an electric battery. Their satellites”10. The smaller ones, like an greatest disadvantage is their in- equipped with a camera Black Hornet ability to hover in one spot. Taking nano-coper, are often used to collect off and landing are also more prob- information during missions. Accord- lematic – their cannot do it vertically ing to a member of the UK Brigade Re- and must be either skilfully thrown connaissance Force in Afghanistan: into the air (micro-, mini- and small- Black Hornet is definitely adding val- sized vehicles), or launched from a ue, especially considering the light catapult (middle-sized), or require weight nature of it. We used it to look full runaway (large UAVs). for insurgent firing points and check c) Single-rotor type UAVs have, just out exposed areas of the ground be- like manned helicopters, a single ro- fore crossing, which is a real asset. tor and usually one or two small tail It is very easy to operate and offers rotors to control its heading. They amazing capability to the guys on are much more energy efficient in the ground11. comparison to multi-rotor drones b) Unmanned combat aerial vehicles and can be powered by a gas motor (UCAVs) are types of drones whose for even longer endurance. Among primary purpose is air-to-ground the downsides their mechanical strike. As stated by the representa- complexity, cost, and vibration are tives of Lockheed Martin Tactical listed. Aircraft Systems – one of the major Tim Levin, How Loud Is Your Drone? – The Drone 0 Mark Raffetto, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Contri- Noise Test of P2, PP, PP, 12 ... WeTalkUAV, Febru- butions to Intelligence, Surveillance, and Recon- ary 1, 2017. Retrieved from: http://www.wetalkuav. naissance Missions for Expeditionary Operations, com/dji-drone-noise-test/ (12.05.2017).

Load more