Expert claims ‘decentralised’ approach holds back USAF next-generation UAV ambitions
A leading defence analyst has told Shephard that efforts by the USAF to advance new UAV concepts are too ‘decentralised’ and lack a ‘centre of gravity’ that would otherwise lead to next-generation capabilities being introduced faster.
‘So far [testing and development] has really involved a “thousand flowers bloom” approach, where AFRL [the US Air Force Research Laboratory] concentrates on their Skyborg work, industry works hard on their operations analysis and the Air Force struggles with what their requirements should be,’ said Caitlin Lee, senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute’s Center for UAV and Autonomy Studies.
‘Activity right now around next-generation drones is
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Personalised news alerts
- Daily and weekly newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Iranian UAV threat leaves Israel’s defence industry searching for answers
Iran has continued to invest heavily in its drone-building capacity, supplying Russia and Iranian proxies throughout the Middle East, leading defence experts in Israel to call for more defensive solutions be developed to deter the threat from UAVs.
-
Emgepron and Tidewise team up to develop first ‘made-in-Brazil’ USV
Brazil's Emgepron and Tidewise have partnered to construct the Suppressor unmanned surface vessel by 2025 amid potential interest from the Brazilian Navy.
-
Autonomous navigation drives UUVs proliferation in the Indo-Pacific
The US Department of Defence has teamed up with Anduril Industries to develop advanced AI-driven long-range uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs), countering China’s escalating UUV advancements.
-
Israel’s SpearUAV positions Viper loitering munitions for tactical and strategic functions
SpearUAV’s Viper family of loitering munitions has been developed to provide effects across multiple domains.
-
UK unveils $5.7 billion uncrewed systems plan with an eye on Ukraine
The UK has outlined a strategy on how it will spend billions of dollars on uncrewed systems over the next decade as it transitions to a more mixed force of crewed and uncrewed platforms.