DOD Issues 25-Year Unmanned Systems Roadmap

Defense.gov News Article: DOD Looks 25 Years Ahead in Unmanned Vehicle Roadmap
Document: Pentagon's Unmanned Systems Roadmap | USNI News 

The report to Congress is an attempt to chart how unmanned systems fit into the defense of the nation.

“The 2013 Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap articulates a vision and strategy for the continued development, production, test, training, operation and sustainment of unmanned systems technology across DOD,” said Dyke Weatherington, the director of the unmanned warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance office at the Pentagon.

“This road map establishes a technological vision for the next 25 years and outlines the actions and technologies for DOD and industry to pursue to intelligently and affordably align with this vision,” he continued.

Unmanned aerial vehicles have received the most press, but unmanned underwater vehicles and ground vehicles are also providing warfighters with incredible capabilities.
Although unmanned vehicles have proved their worth in combat operations throughout the Middle East and Central Asia, current technologies must be expanded and integrated into the sinews of the defense establishment, the report says.



Pentagon Issues 25-Year Unmanned Systems Roadmap | Aviation International News

January 3, 2014, 10:20 AM

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) issued a new 25-year “Unmanned Systems Integrated Roadmap FY2013-2038” for the ongoing development, production and use of unmanned aircraft, ground and maritime systems through 2038. The roadmap forecasts that Pentagon spending on unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will continue growing through 2015; thereafter the rate of spending will decline.

US military report predicts drone swarms, highly autonomous UAVs — RT USA
“System vulnerabilities and threats are examined, as well as risk of exposure and consequence of system compromise, to proactively establish the foundation of security disciplines as early as reasonable in the developmental life cycle,” the Roadmap notes. “Impact to the program in terms of cost, schedules, and performance is also factored into the determination of appropriate protective measures.”
Unmanned aerial systems currently constitute a major drain on the military's budget. Officials hope to ease this burden without sacrificing any firepower by shifting many of the human responsibilities to the drone itself. Taken literally, this process involves ending the execution of step-by-step commands and employing commands that the report notes may “require deviation from pre-programmed tasks.”