Executive Summary - NASA

UAV Roadmap 2002 – Section 2Current UAV ProgramsAir Force Special Operations Command (Hurlburt Field, FL) is using 15 Exdrones astestbeds to explore potential UAV concepts and payloads for special operations forces.The Army Air Maneuver Battle Lab (Ft Rucker, AL) is also experimenting withExdrones, having acquired 30 in 2001.BQM-147 Dragon Drone/BAI Aerosystems/MarinesWeight:Length:Wingspan:Payload:Ceiling:Radius:Endurance:90 lb5.25 ft8.2 ft15 lb10,000 ft26 nm2.5 hrApproximately 100 hand-launched, battery powered FQM-151/Pointers havebeen acquired by the Marines and the Army since 1989 and were employed in the GulfWar. Most recently, the Navy used Pointer to help clear the Vieques, Puerto Rico, rangeof demonstrators, and the Army acquired six systems for use at its Military Operations inUrban Terrain (MOUT) facility at Ft Benning, GA. Pointers have served as testbeds fornumerous miniaturized sensors (e.g., uncooled IR cameras and chemical agent detectors)and have performed demonstrations with the Drug Enforcement Agency, National Guard,and special operations forces. http://uav.navair.navy.mil/smuavFQM-151 Pointer/AeroVironment/NavyWeight:Length:Wingspan:Payload:Ceiling:Radius:Endurance:10 lb6 ft9 ft2 lb1000 ft3 nm1 hr2.3.2 Concept Exploration UAV SystemsACTDs have been responsible for successfully spawning a number of recentUAV programs, such as Predator and Global Hawk, on an accelerated development basis.Because ACTDs are focused on quickly putting a capability into a theater commander’shands for his evaluation before committing resources for the attendant training, spares,technical documentation, etc., required for a fully operational system, those effortsreceiving a favorable endorsement arrive at the Defense Acquisition Board with asignificant bill for “operationalization.” Three ACTDs are currently exploring newconcepts involving unmanned aviation.The Counter Proliferation II ACTD, sponsored by the Defense ThreatReduction Agency (DTRA), envisions deploying two mini-UAVs (Finders) from a largerPredator UAV to conduct point detection of chemical agents. The employment concept15