Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles

Colonel Clark chronologically traces the evolution of uninhabited combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) beginning two centuries before the birth of Christ and ending with the USAF abandonment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and UCAVs in the late 1970s. He provides some background information and examines the most current USAF involvement with UCAVs. Colonel Clark discusses the obstacles that prevented unmanned aviation programs of the past from becoming operationally significant. He extracted evidence from current periodicals, from interviews with UAV and UCAV experts, and from other supporting documentation to determine what significant obstacles UCAVs may face in achieving operational significance in the Air Force. Colonel Clark provides recommendations for overcoming the obstacles and managing the risks and uncertainties involved with UCAVs.