Purpose: The purpose of the Unmanned
Systems Working Group is to promote the exchange of analytical
techniques, permit peer review of methods and results, and
provide a means for continued growth of military operations
research and related disciplines as applied to the study of
military unmanned air, ground, underwater, and surface vehicles
and their on-board sensors. The principle focus of this working
group is analytic techniques of enduring value and interest in
the development and testing of unmanned platforms and payloads;
refining manned/unmanned command and control interfaces; and
understanding the military utility of these systems.
Discussion: From their role in past
conflicts, to today’s research and development, to their key
role in all services' visions of the future, military OR’s
focus on unmanned systems provides a wealth of interesting
projects. Current national and joint military strategies and
vision provide a framework within which unmanned systems can
contribute to mission success. Unmanned systems work as
intelligence platforms; surrogate satellites, guards, and forward
observers; and as decoys. Unmanned platforms can perform
reconnaissance missions in the air, over hazardous terrain and in
mined littorals. Robotic sentries can guard critical
infrastructure, freeing security forces for other tasks. Unmanned
systems can be teamed with manned systems to increase range and
enhance awareness of enemy and friendly forces. Lethal unmanned
systems can locate, and then attack targets, without putting
soldiers, sailors or airmen in harm’s way. Payloads carried
by unmanned vehicles include the traditional electro-optical
sensors, synthetic aperture radar, moving target indicators, as
well as foliage penetrating radar and communications relay gear.
Command and control of unmanned systems is becoming more
sophisticated as new technology is developed for on-board
processing, digital displays and navigation. Unmanned systems
technology is an integral part of Joint and service programs,
technology demonstrations, and experiments.
