Innovative Combat Simulation to Craft Tomorrow’s UAV Operational Doctrine

Could the future military use of UAV create a revolution in military affairs as great as the introduction of the airplane or the tank? Is the revolution underway now? If so, how can we best prepare our military for success? The advent of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is once more changing present and future aerial warfare. The configuration, deployment, and face of the United States Air Force is, in 2009, at a historic point, one which will require new ways of thinking and the optimization of new techniques and opportunities for strategizing. This year, for the first time, the Air Force will purchase more unmanned aerial craft than manned; will train more pilots and operators to fly UAV than traditional pilots. UAV have become ubiquitous, with dozens of nations now in various stages of research and development of these low-cost aerial assets. The time to consider new ways of utilizing and combating these new aircraft is now. BENEFIT: The completed UAV serious game will greatly benefit warfighters who want to learn more about the emerging role of UAV in combat operations. They will be able to use the game to better understand current and potential future capabilities and limitations of unmanned aircraft. Students of airpower theory will use the UAV game to conduct “what if” experiments by playing the same scenario multiple times, constantly adjusting UAV characteristics and experimenting with new doctrinal concepts, in order to better visualize the future of UAV.