Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Background and Issues for Congress (CRS Report for Congress)
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| Release Date |
Revised Nov. 21, 2005 |
| Report Number |
RL31872 |
| Report Type |
Report |
| Authors |
Harlan Geer and Christopher Bolkcom, Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
| Older Revisions |
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Summary:
The war on terrorism has put a high premium on a primary mission of UAVs, intelligence
gathering.
Furthermore, the military effectiveness of UAVs in recent conflicts such as Iraq (1990) and Kosovo
(1999) opened the eyes of many to both the advantages and disadvantages provided by unmanned
aircraft. Long relegated to the sidelines in military operations, UAVs are now making national
headlines as they are used in ways normally reserved for manned aircraft. Conventional wisdom
states that UAVs offer two main advantages over manned aircraft: they are considered more
cost-effective, and they minimize the risk to a pilot's life. However, the current UAV accident rate
(the rate at which the aircraft are lost or damaged) is 100 times that of manned aircraft.
UAVs range from the size of an insect to that of a commercial airliner. DOD currently
possesses five major UAVs: the Air Force's Predator and Global Hawk, the Navy and Marine
Corps's Pioneer, and the Army's Hunter and Shadow. Other key UAV developmental efforts include
the Air Force and Navy's unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV), Navy's vertical takeoff and landing
UAV (VTUAV), and the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance UAV(BAMS), and the Marine Corps's
Dragon Eye and Dragon Warrior. The services continue to be innovative in their use of UAVs.
Recent examples include arming UAVs (Predator, Hunter), using UAVs to extend the eyes of
submarines, and teaming UAVs with strike aircraft and armed helicopters to improve targeting.
In the past, tension has existed between the services' efforts to acquire UAVs and congressional
initiatives to encourage a consolidated DOD approach. Some observers argue that the result has
been a less than stellar track record for the UAV. However, reflecting the growing awareness and
support in Congress and the Department of Defense for UAVs, investments in unmanned aerial
vehicles have been increasing every year. DoD spending on UAVs has increased from $284 million
in Fiscal Year 2000 to $2.1 billion in FY2005.
Congressional considerations include the proper pace, scope, and management of DoD UAV
procurement; appropriate investment priorities for UAVs versus manned aircraft; UAV future roles
and applications; personnel issues; industrial base issues; and technology proliferation. This report
will be updated as necessary.
