What are the Military Uses of UAV Systems?
Today, UAVs/UCAVs have actually undertaken many of the tasks performed by manned aircraft. However, at the moment, missions such as operating in areas with high air defence threats or protecting the airspace, engaging manned or unmanned combat aircraft cannot be performed.
UAV systems, whose importance and advantages have been recognised since the 2000s and whose use in operational areas has rapidly spread since then, have also changed the understanding of military security and operations. The new operational concepts centred on UAV systems, which are currently being rapidly studied and with the addition of new capabilities, will be the most decisive element of the operational environment of the near future.
The decisive factors in the success of military operations have been ‘Land Superiority’, ‘Naval Superiority’, ‘Air Superiority’ and ‘Information Superiority’. Now, in addition to ‘Aerospace Superiority’ and ‘Cyberspace Superiority’, the concept of ‘Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority’ has come to the fore. In the 21st century, without Electromagnetic Spectrum Superiority, it does not seem possible to achieve and then maintain the other superiorities.
Almost all advanced defence systems use a frequency band to a certain extent. The success of network-centric operations, which form the basis of future military operation concepts, will largely depend on the uninterrupted use of the frequency spectrum.
The use of frequency spectrum in today's and future UAV systems is an indispensable requirement. The use of the frequency spectrum will be required both for the control of the UAV platform and the mission systems on it, and for the operation of the mission systems.
In this context, while protecting the frequency band required for the mission of our own systems, at the same time, measures will need to be taken to prevent enemy UAV systems from freely using the frequency spectrum to prevent their missions. In this context, electronic warfare for UAV systems in the next part of the 21st century will be much more important than today.
Today, UAVs/UCAVs have actually undertaken many of the tasks performed by manned aircraft. However, at the moment, missions such as operating in areas with high air defence threats or protecting the airspace, engaging manned or unmanned combat aircraft cannot be performed. These are the areas where studies on UAVs are intensified and the future of manned fighter aircraft is questioned. In parallel with the rapidly developing UAV technology, it is foreseen that combat UAV systems and combat manned fighter aircraft will perform these missions together in the near future.
The main military uses of UAV systems are intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR) and offensive missions. In such missions, which are carried out especially in unfriendly airspaces, the need to avoid endangering human life was initially identified; later, with the realisation that missions could be carried out even for such long periods that the human structure would be unstable, production was planned for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions and offensive use.
In UAV Systems shaped according to reconnaissance missions, imaging payloads of various qualities are carried and the system is completed with the functional equipment required according to other requirements (self-protection, communication, data security, satellite communication, etc.).
These basic applications are followed by more specialised UAV applications. These include: mine search, biological/chemical/radioactive agent detection, security corridor opening, etc.
In today's modern combat doctrine, UAV systems have started to be used as a part of the ‘Task Force’ rather than a support element. The most important obstacle to the effective use of these systems is the lack of trained UAV system operators.
In a complex combat environment, the greatest need of decision-makers is to develop situational awareness and tactical picture by identifying the enemy without being detected, and to develop the necessary operational plans to neutralise the enemy. UAV systems increase the situational awareness of the commander by transmitting the images and intelligence information they receive with advanced sensors, optical systems, TV and infrared cameras to the command centre in real time, and help the commander to present the battlefield tactical picture in detail.
Armed UAV systems can be used effectively in a wide range of applications, from conventional military operations to peacekeeping. In a battle, friendly forces can engage the enemy in one of two ways: by sighted and unseen fire. Sighted firing at the enemy from long distances is preferred over sighted firing because it is safer for friendly forces since there is no direct close contact with the enemy. Armed UAV systems have added a new dimension to the firing on the enemy.
It is predicted that armed and unarmed UAV systems will continue to be used effectively in the future in the execution of highly variable missions in all spectrums of the battlefield. The most important of these missions will be reconnaissance, observation and intelligence gathering, attacks on enemy critical targets with bomb/missile-laden UAVs, advanced surveillance and combat damage assessment for weapon systems with vertical projectile paths that fire blindly, and performing tasks assigned instead of manned aerial vehicles and personnel in risky environments with high threats (such as CBRN, improvised explosive devices, mines, etc.).
UAV Systems military usage areas can be summarised as Tactical and Strategic reconnaissance, Attack, Electronic Warfare and Special missions.
