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TESTIMONY OF
DR. GLENN F. LAMARTIN
DIRECTOR, DEFENSE SYSTEMS
OFFICE OF THE UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
(ACQUISITION, TECHNOLOGY AND LOGISTICS)

BEFORE THE
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SUBCOMMITTEE ON TACTICAL AIR AND LAND FORCES

REGARDING
UNMANNED COMBAT AIR VEHICLE (UCAV) AND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV)

 March 17, 2004 
 

INTRODUCTION

Good morning Mr. Chairman, Mr. Abercrombie, and Members of the Committee.  Thank you for the opportunity to express the Department's views on the progress we have made in our Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) programs.  This committee has consistently provided direction and support to our efforts in development and migration of UAVs to the joint force.  Many of our UAV-related successes we owe in large part to the unwavering support this committee has provided.  We thank you for that. 

As you know, we are approaching the one-year anniversary of the start of sustained combat operations for Operation IRAQI FREEDOM.  On March 19, 2003, forces of the United States and United Kingdom began military operations in what was one of the most successful military operations in this country's history.  UAVs played a major role in the 26-day combat campaign to end Saddam Hussein's strangle hold on Iraq, and UAVs continue to play an important role in efforts to stabilize the country for  transition to a democratic form of government.  During the campaign, more than ten different UAV systems supported combat and combat support operations.  This is noteworthy when one recalls that the Department operated but one UAV system in support of Operation DESERT STORM in 1991.  Today, our UAV systems are deployed and engaged in Iraq and Afghanistan, in continued support of the global war on terrorism. Taken as a whole, this technology area is one of the best examples of the Department's effort to rapidly transform our military and its conduct of warfare.   

DEFENSE DEPARTMENT UAV PROGRAMS

Mr. Chairman, I am the Director of Defense Systems within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics) (USD(AT&L).  The UAV Planning Task Force is one of the organizations under my purview, and that is why I am here before you today.  The task force's goal is to ensure that we acquire the Department's unmanned aerial systems in a coordinated and efficient manner.  One task force product is the DoD UAV roadmap.  The second edition, dated December 2002, is being updated; we anticipate its release early next year.  Today, I will describe the status of the Department's efforts to provide this transformational technology for our combatant commanders' military toolbox. 

Army UAV Programs

The Army has two tactical UAV systems that are operational - the RQ-7 Shadow and the RQ-5 Hunter.  Both have been deployed to Iraq since hostilities began on March 19 of last year and are in great demand.  Both systems have flown thousands of flight hours and are also being used in new mission areas. 

Shadow is the first UAV system we have fielded through the normal acquisition process.  It provides a low cost, organic intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability to the tactical commander.  It successfully completed Initial Operational Test and Evaluation in May of 2002.  A true acquisition success story, this program went from contract award in December 1999 to initial operational capability in just 32 months.  To date, the Army has fielded 12 systems, 8 to operational units of which 4 are directly supporting combat operations.  As an example of how we are using UAVs in new mission areas, Shadow is operating as a force protection asset to oversee vehicle convoys.  As a result of high demand, the Army is accelerating procurement of Shadow systems, 3 more for a total of 11 in Fiscal Year 2004.  An example of competition and rapid delivery of basic capability, we will complete the entire Shadow acquisition by FY06, a two year acceleration over previous plans. 

The Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriations Act included funding to further improve the Shadow air vehicle.  An enhanced wing allowing Shadow to carry more fuel and increase its endurance by 20 percent is in development and testing.  We are taking steps to integrate the tactical common data link (TCDL), a modern, digital, secure, broad-band link, that eliminates potential frequency interference conditions.  Fielding such data links is one of the top ten goals in our UAV roadmap. 

The Army's Hunter UAV provides division and corps commanders with a reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition capability.  As with Shadow, the Army will replace combat and training losses for Hunter in order to maintain a desired 85 percent operational readiness rate.  Replacement Hunter air vehicles will be improved with a heavy fuel engine, an extended wing center section for additional fuel, a modern avionics package, and wing hard points for weapons.  A recent test using Hunter to launch an anti-tank weapon was very successful, hitting and destroying eight of nine targets including both armored and soft vehicles

We plan to replace Hunter with the new Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) UAV beginning in 2009.  We are working with the Army to accelerate this critical acquisition to provide a long endurance platform with motion video and imaging radar capability and enhanced communications capability that includes theater relay and satellite connectivity.  The Army intends to place an ER/MP UAV system composed of twelve air vehicles and five ground stations into each corps or division unit of employment.

The Air Force has provided Lynx radars to the Army for integration on the congressionally-supported I-GNAT system, a Predator-like system that is undergoing evaluation.  The Army plans to deploy this system in April to CENTCOM to enhance tactical UAV imagery collection capability and continue development of operational concepts and tactics, techniques and procedures related to the ER/MP UAV.  This is yet another example of the expanding use of UAVs for the Department.  

Moving to the subject of smaller UAVs, Army special operations forces currently support operations in Afghanistan with a small, 4-pound, back-packable, reconnaissance UAV called the Raven.  To also provide this capability to regular units operating in Iraq, the Army made a one-time commercial-off-the-shelf buy of 185 Raven systems, including over 550 air vehicles.  Every Army battalion deployed will be issued five systems; each system having three air vehicles. 

The Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) will include a number of UAV "classes" supporting the platoon and company levels, the battalion commander, and the unit of action and unit of employment commanders.  The Fire Scout UAV, a Navy developed unmanned helicopter, has been selected as the largest of the FCS UAVs.  We have not yet decided on system solutions for other FCS UAVs.  At the core of FCS, including FCS UAVs, will be common system architectures, user interfaces, hardware, and software that provide interoperability among Army UAVs, with future forces, and joint C4ISR architectures. 

Air Force UAV Programs

The Air Force continues to make progress in acquiring the high altitude, long endurance RQ-4A Global Hawk, the largest UAV in the Department's inventory.  Early Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) versions of Global Hawk supported operations in Iraq last year with great success.  Although accounting for only three percent of the total ISR sorties during the 26-day campaign, it provided over half of the time critical targeting data against Iraq's air defense assets.  The Air Force has taken delivery of the first two production aircraft.  By the summer of 2005, six more Global Hawks will deliver; two to the Navy to support a maritime surveillance demonstration.  In early 2006, an improved B-model Global Hawk will deliver with a redesigned wing which will increase its payload capacity from 2000 to 3000 pounds and provide a 150 percent increase in on-board power generation capability.  The Global Hawk spiral development process has enabled the rapid fielding of critical warfighter needs including an increasingly capable signals intelligence suite on this persistent platform.  The Air Force intends to acquire a total of 51 Global Hawks through 2012. 

The Air Force also operates the medium altitude, long endurance MQ-1 Predator with great success.  During the Iraqi conflict, the Air Force used both in- and out-of-theater ground control stations, with beyond-line-of-sight air vehicle control, to fly Predator.  This gave the Combined Forces Air Component Commander great flexibility since he could increase capability and have redundant control using up to five ground control stations at multiple locations.  Three orbits were controlled, via remote operations, from the United States.  Four simultaneous Predator orbits were flown over Iraq, and an additional orbit operated over Afghanistan.  This combined reach back operation, used for both Global Hawk and Predator, significantly reduced troop deployment, improved system availability, reduced theater force protection needs, and saved dollars.  This concept of moving data rather than people was a demonstration of "networked" operations and another example of the rapidly evolving use of UAVs.  Like Army's Shadow and Hunter UAVs, Predator continues to support on-going operations in Iraq, where it has accumulated over 7000 flight hours. 

The Air Force continues to upgrade the Predator fleet with congressional help.  Enhancements include replacing the original electro-optical/infrared sensor ball with an improved one that adds a laser designator/rangefinder and adding wing hard-points and wiring to carry and launch two Hellfire missiles.  These improvements evolve Predator into an armed reconnaissance platform which retains all the capability of a traditional ISR asset, and adds a direct strike capability.  This enhanced capability shortens the kill chain and dramatically reduces the opportunity for targets to flee if tactical aircraft are unavailable to deliver weapons. 

The Air Force is also acquiring the MQ-9 Predator B, a larger, more capable, turboprop-engined version of the Predator that adds more robust weapons capability and improved all weather intelligence collection.  The Air Force also is incorporating a number of reliability enhancements.  A demonstration using the laser guided GBU-12 munition is ongoing.  The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) has been a key proponent of Predator B.

Additionally, the Air Force operates small UAV systems for force protection and special operations.  The Desert Hawk UAV is a 5-lb aerial system used by security personnel to improve situational awareness of the force protection battlespace by conducting area surveillance, patrolling base perimeters and runway approach and departure paths, and performing convoy overwatch.  The Air Force is procuring the 4-lb Raven, and it's buying the 10-lb Pointer UAV for Air Force Special Operation Forces.

Navy and Marine Corps UAV Activities

The Navy was the first Service to employ a UAV in combat during Operation DESERT STORM and, although the Navy has subsequently transferred the Pioneer UAV system to the Marine Corps, they have plans to acquire several new UAV systems.  Their planning includes the tactical Fire Scout, an unmanned helicopter, to provide the Littoral Combat Ship an organic UAV capability in 2007.  The Navy and Army are working together to achieve a common Fire Scout UAV air vehicle. 

They are also planning to begin the development of a high altitude, long endurance Broad Area Maritime Surveillance UAV to provide a world-wide access, persistent maritime ISR capability in 2010.  Potential platforms are a maritime version of Global Hawk, a maritime version of the Predator B, and an unmanned version of the Gulfstream 550. 

The Navy's Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration will use two Global Hawk air vehicles - - procured in concert with the Air Force's production - - for demonstration of maritime modes and development of a concept of operations for persistent, maritime ISR.  The Navy also operates one Pioneer system and supports one Predator system for the United States Joint Forces Command's joint operational test bed system (JOTBS).  Using these systems to examine UAV interoperability, the test bed enables such experimentation without competition for limited operational UAV assets and without Service doctrine or policy constraints.  The Office of Naval Research is exploring development of a class of UAVs in between the size of the Shadow and small UAVs.  UAVs in this class would provide significantly enhanced endurance over current electric powered systems and might provide similar capability to larger systems at much reduced cost.  Competition is a strong motivator in this class, as much of the technology is commercial-off-the-shelf, with low barriers to entry.  Creative options are emerging from a variety of innovative sources.  For example, we have demonstrated endurance in excess of 16 hours with airframes that fit in the size of a golf bag.  This represents an order of magnitude improvement of current operational small UAV capability.

The Marine Corps flies two UAV systems - - the tactical Pioneer and the small hand-launched Dragon Eye.  Pioneer, operational since 1986, is the oldest UAV in the inventory.  Pioneer deployed to support the run to Baghdad last year where it flew over 700 sorties and accumulated 2300 flight hours.  The Marine Corps plans to sustain the Pioneer for continued use through 2010.  The Marine Corps competitively selected Dragon Eye in November 2003 for its small-unit reconnaissance capability.  The first full rate production systems deliver in the spring of this year.  Twenty prototype Dragon Eye systems were also deployed last year to support Marine Corps units in Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. 

UAV-Related Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs)

The Department is also demonstrating advanced UAV capabilities though the ACTD process.  The Special Operations Command sponsored the Tactical Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar ACTD which showed the ability to map the earth with extremely high resolution.  This ACTD will use an Air Force MQ-9 Predator B.  Central Command and the Air Force sponsored the Hyperspectral Collection and Analysis System ACTD which will demonstrate detection, location, and identification of camouflaged and concealed targets.  Other ACTDs in which UAVs play a significant role include Gridlock; Foliage Penetrating Synthetic Aperture Radar; Global Hawk Polarimetric Imaging; and the Adaptive Joint Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Node. 

DARPA Joint-Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) and Other Activities

Of particular significance, the Department this year redirected individual Service efforts into a joint unmanned combat air systems program.  Formally established at the direction of OSD, the J-UCAS program is a joint Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Air Force, and Navy effort to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of unmanned combat vehicles to suppress heavily defended enemy air defenses and to conduct ISR, electronic attack, and related strike missions.  DARPA is leading this joint program effort with technical support from both Services.  Their goal is to demonstrate capability that supports both Air Force and Navy emerging requirements.  The joint system emphasizes more than just air vehicles.  It will be based on a common open architecture and operating system, with air vehicles as subsystems that maximize system flexibility and operational utility.  This demonstration program includes a robust operational assessment planned to begin in 2007.  The operational assessment will provide the Services with program options that could lead to an acquisition decision in the 2010 timeframe. 

In addition to fixed wing UAV technology development, DARPA rotary wing development and demonstration efforts on UAV platforms lead the way in revolutionary applications of technology.  The Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) program is advancing the state-of-the-art in automation, collision avoidance, and signature control in a highly competitive development program.  The A-160 Hummingbird technology effort is pushing to provide Predator-like endurance and payload in a rotary wing platform.  Finally the canard rotor-wing (CRW) technology demonstration program is combining the attributes of both fixed and rotary wing technology in a single platform, promising both high speed and endurance with vertical take-off and landing capability.  Some of the most innovative and revolutionary technology development activities in the aviation domain are now occurring on unmanned vehicles.  This concludes my summary of the on-going Department efforts to acquire and demonstrated unmanned air systems. 

OSD UAV-RELATED ACTIVITIES 

I would now like to address our particular activities within the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) to oversee the Services in acquiring UAV systems.  Now about 2½ years old, the OSD-led UAV Planning Task Force works to guide the Services in their acquisition planning, prioritization, and execution of unmanned air system programs.

One year ago, the Task Force released its second edition of the DoD UAV Roadmap.  The overarching goal of the roadmap is to define a logical, systematic migration of UAV mission capabilities to the Services.  Unlike the first edition of the roadmap, which was descriptive in nature, the second edition is prescriptive in that it establishes goals for the Department to pursue as a means to achieve efficiencies and advance our unmanned capability.  The roadmap identifies our "Top-10 Goals," ranging from broad programmatic direction to very specific technology solutions, each aimed at a critical technology, programmatic, or functional area of UAV transition.  We have made significant progress on many of the identified goals which I will highlight.    

•      Our number one goal is to develop and operationally assess an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) capability in the 2010 timeframe.  UCAVs offer the potential to change the way military operations are conducted.  We have consolidated funding into a defense-wide program element for efficiency, and we have established a Joint UCAS office that is leading the Department's efforts.  We will demonstrate air vehicles from two different contractors during an operational assessment beginning in 2007.  In 2010, we plan to make an acquisition decision for this new class of unmanned combat air vehicles.

•      Another key goal is to develop and demonstrate a heavy fuel engine suitable for use in our tactical UAVs in 2005, and with growth potential to operate on larger UAVs in the Predator-class in 2007.  A heavy fuel engine is one that can burn diesel or jet fuel.  The Army is leading the effort toward this goal.  They recently integrated a commercial heavy fuel engine into the Hunter UAV.  Preliminary test data are promising:  cruise fuel economy improved by 38 percent, takeoff roll improved by 6 percent, rate of climb improved by 20 percent, and electrical power increased by 100 percent.  The use of heavy fuel not only improves performance but also reduces the logistics footprint and costs needed to support a special fuel type.  DARPA and the Office of Naval Research are also experimenting with heavy fuel engine designs for several small UAV applications. 

•      Our top operational goal is to make it easier to safely fly UAVs in FAA-controlled airspace.  To do so, we aim to revise FAA Order 7610.4 which will complement the Certificate of Authorization process currently used to operate UAVs in the National Air Space.  The Air Force Flight Standards Agency is leading a working group that is developing a draft change to the FAA order which will allow UAV's with a qualified see-and-avoid system to "file-and-fly," similar to what is done routinely by general aviation.  This will greatly improve flexibility and availability of many of our UAV systems.  We expect the revision to be complete early this summer.  Once the FAA approves the revision, a flight demonstration next fall will validate the new procedures.  

I hope that these examples give you an appreciation for the types of goals we are pursuing for our UAV programs.  The roadmap has been very effective in communicating the Department's plan not only to Government organizations, but also to industry, inviting innovation and competition in this dynamic technology area.  Although our goals are challenging, the Department is working hard to reach each of them.  We are committed to maintaining the roadmap as a relevant and current DoD plan.

Finally, I would like to address our engagement with the Services on their UAV activities, which is an expansion of OSD's traditional oversight role.  All of our acquisition activities fit within the Department's broader capability-based planning approach that responds to policy aims, considers warfighters' needs, finds systems solutions, and allocates resources efficiently.  The USD(AT&L) has sufficient authority as the Defense Acquisition Executive to influence these processes and to provide the visibility and direction needed to advance UAV capabilities and effectively integrate them into the Combatant Commanders' operational forces. 

Our resource allocation system, the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process, affords OSD the means to adequately review and enforce UAV program activities across the Department.  To cite two examples, we applied the PPBE process this year to adjust the Global Hawk and Joint Unmanned Air Combat System programs, allocating additional funding to those programs to maintain the momentum and direction needed to accelerate their development and fielding. 

Another example of our expanded role is the Joint Small UAV Program Manager Working Group.  This group, formed at OSD's recommendation, is made up of the program managers for each of the small UAV programs, representing each of the Services.  It promotes the sharing of information, data, techniques, and technologies related to small UAVs.  Recent successes include an Army, Marine Corps, and Special Operations Command combined buy of a small UAV infrared camera, saving 50 percent in unit costs. 

In the area of capability needs, we work closely with the Joint Staff and the new Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process.  This capabilities-based process focuses on developing integrated joint warfighting capability, providing analysis of requirements and solutions across the Services.  We are working with the Joint Staff and the Services to refine the JCIDS process within each of the established functional areas to better identify capability needs and define integrated solutions to meet those needs.  This will lead to strategic plans or roadmaps for each functional capability area.  UAVs will likely play an increasing role in meeting many of those needs, but in each case they will have to be integrated with our other diverse systems to provide effective war-fighting solutions.

Together, the Department's recently revised processes focus on building joint capability, promote the sharing of information, identify areas for cooperation, and make program adjustments to correct capability gaps and redundancies.

CONCLUSION

In summary, we believe the Department is making positive progress in developing and fielding UAVs.  The wide array of capabilities offered by UAVs ranges from the very small hand-held systems, to emerging combat vehicles, to large, long endurance platforms.  The Department envisions that unmanned technology will mature in its capability to support many mission areas and at every echelon of command.  The rapid rate at which these capabilities can be developed and delivered to warfighters uniquely positions the United States to adapt to new and emerging threats. 

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my prepared remarks, I will entertain any questions you may have.