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U.S. Air Force Considers Using Less UAVs

Nov 18, 2013

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Senior U.S. Air Force (USAF) officials are in the midst of a high-stakes debate about the future of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) fleet that could lead to a reduction in combat air patrols (CAPs) to no more than 45.

In 2008, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates lambasted the USAF for failing to produce more MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper CAPs during a speech at the US Air Force Academy. In response, service officials scrambled to put more CAPs in the air quickly and to produce a plan in 2010 to reach 65 CAPs by the end of Fiscal Year 2013.

According to Janes.com the deadline for 65 CAPs was later extended to May 2014, and today USAF officials say they are on track to meet it with 62 CAPs currently in the air.

iHLS – Israel Homeland Security

As the war in Afghanistan winds down, however, General Mark Welsh, the USAF’s Chief of Staff, is calling for a reduction in the number of CAPs to 45 or lower. “In the vicinity of 45 would be a good start, and then we would see how we do,” Gen. Welsh told reporters at a 13 November media breakfast. “There are some people that would like to keep that number higher and that will be the debate in the budget discussions this year.”

Combatant commanders in Afghanistan, and previously in Iraq, have long hailed the value of the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) provided by UAVs, which are known as remotely piloted aircraft (RPAs) in the USAF.

Gen Welsh said the demand for ISR is not likely to decrease in the future, but the money tied up in 65 CAPs might be better spent on other ISR platforms. “We have a lot of money invested in moving towards 65 CAPs … to support Afghanistan,” said Gen Welsh. “If you go out and ask other combatant commanders, like the commander of US Pacific, the US exit from Afghanistan will provide an opportunity to divest some funding from RPAs and revisit other types of ISR platforms, according to Gen. Welsh. “I believe we have to change our ISR force structure over time. … We need to trade some of that [RPA force structure] for investment in other platforms.”