http://www.dsti.net/Information/News/75472
F-22、F-35和微型無人機將在A2AD環境下執行更多ISR任務
2012-05-10
【據英國《飛行國際》網站2012年4月26日報導】美國空軍可能將通過微型(nano)無人機在敵軍防護密集的空域執行深入偵察任務,不過現階段,軍方仍將依靠第5代隱身戰鬥機執行此類情報收集任務。
美國空軍情報主管Larry James表示,過去10年,我們在對手能力有限的環境下表現良好。但是,我們未來面對的對手更強,需要考慮反介入/區域拒止(A2AD)作戰環境。在這種環境下,F-22和F-35可能是僅有可用於收集ISR資料的飛機,它們的先進感測器確保其能扮演好情報收集器的角色。美國空軍科學諮詢委員會和空中作戰司令部(ACC)正在研究如何使用F-22和F-35作為ISR平臺,相關研究將於今年夏天完成。需要解決的問題主要是如何將兩種平臺收集到的資料發送給情報分析員。基於諮詢委員會的結論,ACC將制訂一個如何使第5代戰鬥機融入情報體系架構並向通用地面站分發資料的路線圖。ACC正在研究兩型隱身戰鬥機執行ISR任務所需的戰術、技術和程式。
美國空軍還將投資於防區外感測器,其他選擇還包括使用更多的天基系統或基於賽博(cyber)的情報收集方式。在A2AD挑戰面前,很可能需要結合空基、天基以及基於賽博的情報收集方式。面向未來,可能通過一種新型深入無人機解決這類問題。James表示,網路化的微型無人機可能深入戰區並工作一段時間,這是技術人員需要關注的問題。(中國航空工業發展研究中心 許鑫家)
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/future-nano-uavs-could-collect-isr-in-heavily-defended-airspace-alongside-raptors-and-f-35s-371189/
Future nano-UAVs could collect ISR in heavily defended airspace alongside Raptors and F-35s
PrintBy: Dave Majumdar Washington DC 08:20 26 Apr 2012 Source:
The US Air Force could eventually develop swarms of nano-unmanned aircraft to conduct penetrating reconnaissance missions inside heavily defended airspace, but the service will rely on its stealthy fifth-generation fighter fleet to gather intelligence inside those areas for now.
"As you think about the A2/AD [anti-access/area denial] environment, I would offer that over the course of the last 10 years we been very good at operating in a permissive environment with airborne capabilities," says USAF intelligence chief Lt Gen Larry James speaking at an Air Force Association sponsored breakfast. "However if you think about the future conflicts that we may face, that is a non-permissive environment Frankly we may not have the ability, especially at the outset, to fly [General Atomics MQ-1] Predators or [MQ-9] Reapers."
That also applies to other non-stealth airborne intelligence collectors like the L-3 Communications RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft.
The USAF's Lockheed Martin F-22s and F-35s are probably going to be the only aircraft capable of gathering intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data inside those hostile environments, James says. Both aircraft have an array of sensors that make them extremely capable intelligence collectors.
The USAF's scientific advisory board and Air Combat Command (ACC) are currently working on how to use the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms. That advisory board study should be complete by this summer, James says.
One of the major issues the two USAF organizations will examine is how to download the vast amount of data generated by the two fighters to intelligence analysts.
"Frankly, that is a hard question," James says. "How do you get the data off-board in that environment."
ACC will develop a roadmap based on the advisory board's conclusions on how to proceed with that the task of integrating the fifth-generation fighter fleet into the intelligence architecture, including the distributed common ground stations.
But ACC is already working on developing tactics, techniques and procedures for using the two stealth fighters in the ISR role, James says.
The USAF might also invest in standoff sensors that have the range to collect intelligence data from outside range of enemy defences. Other options include using more space-based collection systems or even cyber-based intelligence gathering efforts. It will probably require a combination of air, space and cyber-based collection to overcome A2/AD challenges though, James says.
But in the future there could be a new generation of penetrating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
"Are there places for nano-UAVs that can be survivable or throwaway, networked small UAVs that can perhaps penetrate and operate for some period of time?" James says. "Those are things technologists need to look at."