Abstract

In recent years we have observed a rapid growth in the employment of Unmanned Aerial Systems and Vehicles in both the commercial and military sector. With new sophisticated technological developments allowing for greater precision, autonomy and application, the need to meet operational demand has resulted in a slew of questions concerning the military’s capability to support these systems. In particular; how does the military go about narrowing the skills gap in UAV usage, how do we increase access to national and international air space to train and use these UAV’s and do we have the structures in place to sustain them? When will a manned-centric military force be ready to embrace the change that comes with fewer cockpits? This year, SMi’s 15th annual UAS Conference shall aim to explore the most highly relevant and niche developments within the field of UAS’s and UAV’s in relation to the Military. The conference shall provide a platform for the industry to discuss the legislative, physical and technological challenges in implementing UAV’s and will assess the advancements in the commercial sector and how they can be applied to optimize Military operations.   The following topics shall be discussed: • Examine the integration of UAV’s into protected national and international air space • Review the procurement forecasts, technological advancements and new applications of UAS • Discuss the influence of commercial tech developments and critical analysis of the ramifications of these on the military • Evaluate the importance of scale and the impact of small and nano-sized UAV’s on training and operations • Debate the ethical and legislative concerns in regards to UAS use in ISR and surveillance in both the Military and law enforcement • Explore the measures being taken to counter UAS strikes and create greater autonomy wit • Hear from the latest case studies and lessons learned