Unmanned Aerial Systems: A Historical Perspective

153 Pages·2010·7.91 MB·English

by  John David Blom

Unmanned Aerial Systems:
A Historical Perspective
John David Blom
Occasional Paper 37
Combat Studies Institute Press
US Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Cover photo: A US Soldier from the 2nd Stryker Brigade
Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, prepares to launch a
“Raven” unmanned aerial vehicle to help conduct a cache search
in the rural region of Zobam Iraq on October 4, 2006. The site has
been historically known to hold countless hidden weapons caches.
US Army photo by Specialist Daniel Herrera.
Unmanned Aerial Systems:
A Historical Perspective
John David Blom
Occasional Paper 37
Combat Studies Institute Press
US Army Combined Arms Center
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Blom, John David.
Unmanned Aerial Systems : a historical perspective / John David Blom.
p. cm. -- (Occasional paper ; 37)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-9823283-0-9
1. Aerial reconnaissance, American--History. 2. Drone aircraft--United States--
History. I. Title. II. Series.
UG763.B567 2009
358.4’50973--dc22
2009005812
First Printing: September 2010
CSI Press publications cover a variety of military history topics.
The views expressed in this CSI Press publication are those of the
author(s) and not necessarily those of the Department of the Army,
or the Department of Defense. A full list of CSI Press publica-
tions, many of them available for downloading, can be found at:
http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/CSI/RandPTeam.asp
The seal of the Combat Studies Institute authenticates this document as an
official publication of the CSI. It is prohibited to use CSI’s official seal on any
republication of this material without the expressed written permission of the
Director of CSI.
ii
Foreword
In the Long War, formerly called the Global War on Terror, the armed
forces of the United States have utilized unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
extensively to support combat, security, and stability operations. The con-
cept of unmanned flight is nothing new to the military. Experiments with
pilotless aircraft began at the end of World War I. The historical devel-
opment of these aircraft and the Army’s long use of aerial platforms for
reconnaissance provide valuable insight into the future possibilities and
potential pitfalls of UAVs.
Mr. John Blom’s study describes the way that aircraft have been inte-
grated into ground units since World War I. Mr. Blom traces this integra-
tion through World War II and the creation of an independent Air Force.
In the ninety years since World War I, the quantity of aircraft organic to
ground units has constantly expanded. In this period, many of the same
debates between the Army and Air Force that continue today over UAVs
first appeared.
This study addresses past and current systems, and does not address
systems under development. The technological development of UAVs
possesses as deep a history as the Army’s use of aircraft for aerial recon-
naissance. Mr. Blom details the long development of UAVs that has led
the military to where it is today. Understanding this past may provide clues
into where this technology may be going, and what problems could lie
ahead.
We at the Combat Studies Institute (CSI) believe in our mission to
support the warfighter with historical research relevant to their current
tasks. Unmanned Aerial Systems: A Historical Perspective continues this
long tradition in providing insight to a vital asset on the modern battle-
field and assists commanders and staffs in its employment. Nothing is
more important than protecting the lives of those who willingly risk them.
Achieving a better understanding of the past can only assist in the execu-
tion of present and future missions. CSI—The Past is Prologue!
Dr. William G. Robertson
Director, Combat Studies Institute
iii

Acknowledgements
Numerous individuals assisted me in this project, and for that I am
extremely grateful. Retired Specialist Dave Hall provided first-hand details
of UAV operations in the Army during the 1950s. Major John Gossart
took the time, while deployed in Iraq, to respond to numerous questions
regarding the use of UAVs in Sadr City. Rusty Rafferty at the Combined
Arms Research Library helped track down old field manuals, without
which many details might have been missed. Robert Ramsey gave me
excellent guidance for my first study. My colleague Robert Davis listened
without complaint to what probably seemed like endless descriptions of
various government UAV programs. Colonel Timothy R. Reese, Dr. Wil-
liam Glenn Robertson, Kendall Gott, and the rest of the staff at CSI made
me feel very welcome here at Fort Leavenworth. Without the aid of all of
those individuals, this project never could have been completed. I give
each of them my deepest thanks.
I also want to thank my family for their endless support. Most of all, I
thank my wonderful wife Deborah, for following me across the country in
pursuit of my dreams and supporting me in all things.
v

Page
Contents
Foreword ..................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgements ...................................................................................v
Introduction ...............................................................................................1
Chapter 1. Aerial Reconnaissance in the Army, 1917-1991 .....................5
World War I ..........................................................................5
Interwar Years .....................................................................12
World War II .......................................................................13
Korean War .........................................................................22
Airmobility and Centralization of Aviation ....................... .27
Vietnam ..............................................................................31
Post Vietnam and the 1980s ...............................................38
Chapter 2. Development of Unmanned Flight in the United States ......45
Early Experiments ...............................................................45
Unmanned Flight in World War II ......................................47
Early Cold War Tests ..........................................................49
UAVs During the Vietnam Era ...........................................58
UAV Development After Vietnam ......................................66
Chapter 3. UAVs in the 1990s ................................................................81
The Joint Program Office ...................................................81
UAVs in DESERT STORM ................................................88
The Birth of the Predator ....................................................91
The Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office ...................92
vii
Page
Chapter 4. UAVs in Iraq and Afghanistan ............................................105
UAV Sytems Deployed in Support of the Long War......... 106
UAV Systems in Afghanistan and Iraq Operations ..........114
The Future of UAVs ..........................................................119
Chapter 5. Conclusion ...........................................................................127
Bibliography .........................................................................................133
viii