Lethal unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) are a significant combat multiplier being employed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Colonel Luther Turner, a UAV pilot, Major Jason Adair, a Canadian infantry battle group operations officer, and Major Louis Hamel, commander of a Canadian Tactical Air Control Party, provide a unique perspective in air/land integration of UAV capabilities. The three agree that the key to successful employment of the UAV is the relationships formed between UAV pilots and the ground personnel directing the aerial surveillance and strikes performed by the aircraft, articulation of priorities, and building and sharing a detailed intelligence picture.
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One Comment on "Optimizing Deadly Persistence in Kandahar: Armed UAV Integration in the Joint Tactical Fight"
September 28, 2009 8:42 PM Craig Carney said:
One accepted definition of Revolution of Military Affairs (RMA) is the “fundamental advance in technology, doctrine, and organization which makes existing methods of warfare obsolete”.1 However, author Simon Bernard also explains sometimes technological advances and changes in doctrine take decades, and are “dealing with a state of constant evolution rather than revolution”. 2 Therefore, it can be argued That RMA can be also being described as both an “evolution” and a “revolution”. Keeping revolution exclusive to RMA would not be truly reflective of the phenomenon. How the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has evolved and been integrated into COIN Campaigns demonstrate this phenomenon.
Author Andrew Krepinevich explains that the very essence of RMA is not the speed of change in military effectiveness in dealing with an adversary, but rather the scale of the change in relation to existing military capabilities. 3 Sometimes technological advances and changes in doctrine take decades to evolve rather than revolution. Andrew Krepinevich replies that what is “revolutionary is the nature of the conflict” which changes dramatically, thus requiring doctrinal and organizational adjustments.3
One example is the evolution of how the UAV can support operations in the COIN environment. UAV’s employed by the U.S have played a significant role in both peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo by maintaining “situational awareness” in the area of operations. A decade later in Afghanistan, the UAV has since evolved and are now armed with precision guided munitions providing not only soldiers in the battlespace “close air support” but persistant surveillance as well.
Athough UAV technology is not revolutionary, Majors Adair, Hamel and Colonel Turner effectively demonstrate how the UAV was deployed achieved RMA through evolution. In large part, based on the fact that the Battlegroup effectively achieved full integration with C2, aviation, ground forces and intelligence analysts, making the UAV asset a dynamic force multiplier.
1. Bernard, Simon. “The Revolution in Military Affairs: Approach with Caution.” The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin 3.4 (Winter 2000), 55
2. Bernard, 55
3. Royal Military College, History 275, Course Notes, Module 1: Technology, War, and Military Affairs (Kingston: Queens University, 2009), p. 23
4. Ibid, 23