Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap 2005-2030 - Federation of ...

UAS ROADMAP 2005
5.3 OPERATIONS
5.3.1 Current Status of Operations
As of mid-FY04, the U.S. military had some 150 UA (33 systems) deployed in operational units, along
with an equivalent number of small, hand-launched UA in small tactical and special operations units. The
peak of OIF (April 2003) saw 70 UA (14 systems) of five types (Global Hawk, Hunter, Pioneer, Predator,
and Shadow) deployed forward in support of the GWOT. A similar number of small UA of six types
(Dragon Eye, FPASS, Silver Fox, Pointer, Tern, and Raven) were also deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan
at that time. Today's UA inventory (see Table 5.3-1) is based from coast to coast (see Figure 5.3-1) and,
with few exceptions, conducts proficiency flights in restricted airspace. In 2003, the Air Force received a
"national certificate of authorization (COA)" allowing Global Hawk to fly in unrestricted airspace;
however, flights require five days notice to the FAA.
TABLE 5.3-1. CURRENT UAS INVENTORY.
System Unit Base No. of Systems
Global Hawk 12 Recon Sqdn Beale AFB, CA 1 (51 aircraft planned)
Hunter 1 MI BN Hoenfels, Germany 1 (6 aircraft)
15 MI BN Ft. Hood, TX 1 (6 aircraft)
224 MI BN Savannah, GA 1 (6 aircraft)
Pioneer VMU-1 Twenty Nine Palms MCAS, CA 1 (5 aircraft)
VMU-2 Cherry Point MCAS, NC 1 (5 aircraft)
Fleet Composite Paxtuxent River, MD 1(3 aircraft)
Squadron Six
Predator 11 Recce Sq Indian Springs AAF, NV 5 (20 aircraft)
15 Recce Sd " 5 (20 aircraft)
17 Recce Sq " 2 (12 aircraft)
Shadow 3 Bde, 2 ID Ft. Lewis, WA 1 (4 aircraft)
1 Bde, 25 ID " 1 (4 aircraft)
1 Bde, 1st Cav Ft. Hood, TX 1 (4 aircraft)
2 Bde, 1st Cav " 1 (4 aircraft)
3 Bde, 1st Cav " 1 (4 aircraft)
1 Bde, 82 Abn Ft. Bragg, NC 1 (4 aircraft)
2 Bde, 82 Abn " 1 (4 aircraft)
2 Bde, 1 ID Germany 1 (4 aircraft)
3 Bde, 1 ID " 1 (4 aircraft)
1 Bde, 2 ID Korea 1 (4 aircraft)
2 Bde, 2 ID " 1 (4 aircraft)
1 Bde, 4 ID Ft. Hood, TX 1 (4 aircraft)
2 Bde, 4 ID " 1 (4 aircraft)
29 ID (PA NG) Indian Town Gap, PA 1 (4 aircraft)
56 Bde (MD NG) Baltimore, MD 1 (4 aircraft)
172 SIB Ft. Wainwright, AK 1 (4 aircraft)
1 – 4 UA 3 ID Ft. Stewart, GA 4 (16 aircraft)
Note: Small UAVs are not included as the number of units having hand launched systems are too
numerous to mention.
SECTION 5 - OPERATIONS
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