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Air Force pitches central manager for UAVs

Hoping to sell the service’s viewpoint on how to develop remote-controlled aircraft, Air Force representatives made their case Friday to members of several joint commands and Defense Department agencies.

Though invited, representatives from the Army, Marine Corps and Navy were absent from the session.

Col. Charlie Bartlett, director for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities on the Air Force’s A2 directorate, presented the service’s pitch. Bartlett said the Air Force hopes to meet with its sister services later this month or in May.

In a March memo, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley proposed that the Air Force be designated as the Defense Department’s executive agent for overseeing unmanned aerial vehicles that fly primarily above 3,500 feet. Such UAVs include the Air Force MQ-1 Predator, MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Global Hawk, and the Army Warrior.

The effort would not involve small, low-flying and hand-launched UAVs such as the Army’s Raven.

Bartlett said the Air Force wants a single point of control for high-flying UAVs in order to prevent them from interfering with manned aircraft. Having a central manager for UAVs will ensure that communications links are compatible and that money isn’t wasted on programs with duplicate capabilities, he said.

Bartlett told Air Force Times that the joint representatives did not takes sides for or against the Air Force’s proposal. Their main concern is that reconnaissance information from UAVs be available to anyone who needs it, Bartlett said.

The Defense Secretary’s office would have to sign off on the Air Force becoming the executive agent for UAVs, Bartlett said. A similar proposal two years ago faded away without any decision.

Congress may also decide to get involved. On April 19, the House Armed Services Committee will hear testimony from service representatives as well as the Government Accountability Office about UAV programs.