Subject Resource Guide: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operations

Subject Resource Guide: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operations
Source: Air University (Muir S. Fairchild Research Information Center)
Topics covered:

• Aerial Reconnaissance
• Dissemination
• Electronic Collection
• Exploitation
• Gathering
• Integrated Planning
• Intelligence
• ISR
• Military Intelligence
• Military Surveillance
• Military Reconnaissance
• Network Centric
• Reconnaissance
• Surveillance

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Service Demand 2015 – 2035: Literature Review & Projections of Future Usage

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Service Demand 2015 – 2035: Literature Review & Projections of Future Usage (PDF)
Source: U.S. Air Force (via USGS)

This report assesses opportunities, risks, and challenges attendant to future development and deployment of UAS within the National Airspace System (NAS) affecting UAS forecast growth from 2015 to 2035. Analysis of four key areas is performed: technology, mission needs, economics, and existing or anticipated challenges to routine use in NAS operations. Forecast effects of emerging technologies as well as anticipating new technological innovations in areas of airframes, powerplants, sensors, communication, command and control systems, and information technology and processing are evaluated. Anticipated mission needs include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as new areas such as stores delivery, cargo transport, search and rescue, and pilot augmentation; example business case models are developed for each of these areas. Challenges to routine UAS usage in the NAS include: absence of legislation and regulations for safe flight in integrated airspace; pilot training and certification; regulatory, policy, and procedural issues; social issues, such as privacy and nuisance concerns; environmental issues, such as noise and emissions; and safety.

Air Force announces force structure overview for FY 13 and beyond

Air Force announces force structure overview for FY 13 and beyond

Source:  U.S. Air Force

Air Force officials announced proposed force structure changes which support the new DoD strategic guidance retiring 286 aircraft over the next five years, including 227 in fiscal year 13.

According to Secretary of the Air Force, Michael Donley, the Air Force is shaping itself for future challenges by realigning Air Force assets with the Defense Department’s new strategic guidance.

“We’ve had to adjust our force structure based on our strategic objectives and to balance capability and capacity with constrained budgets,” Donley said. “We must have the right tools and enough of them to credibly deter potential adversaries and to deliver on our objectives.”

The new strategic guidance requires the joint force to be capable of fighting one large scale, combined arms campaign with sufficient combat power to also deny a second adversary, and de-emphasized large-scale, prolonged stability operations. The Air Force’s approach to this new strategy is to retire fighter, mobility, and ISR that are beyond those needed to meet the capacity requirements of the new defense strategic guidance.

+ Fiscal 2013 Force Structure changes (PDF)