Missile Delivered UAV: Extended to Deep Strike Concepts

Real-time availability of battle field data can be the difference between eliminating a threat thereby protecting the troops and/or assets or suffering heavy casualties and/or asset losses. It also provides a means to address targets of opportunity related to the ongoing war on terror. For many years the Army has pursued the development of UAVs and munitions that provide battle field assessments and strike capability to aid and identify enemy positions and assets with a means to destroy them. Generally, the ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) missions have been supported more heavily with UAV assets like Predator (aircraft). The predator is extremely slow compared to a missile and would require reasonably close proximity to a hot zone of interest if real-time intelligence is critical. Missile systems like ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System) provide increased range, faster response, and strike capability but limited ISR capability as defined by the ATACMS Block II that carries the BAT (Brilliant Anti-Tank) guided submunition. Neither concept fully addresses the desire to support deep strike capability.