Manned, Fixed-Wing Aviation

Manned flight has been integral to the fight on the battlefield since World War I. World War II was the first large-scale showcase for aviation in the interdiction role while the Vietnam War heralded the advent of precision-guided munitions. During Operation DESERT STORM, the interdiction mission, once almost exclusively conducted by manned aviation, had to share the mission with new weapon systems. This trend in technological evolution brings about the question, As military technological advancements evolve toward Joint Vision 2020, should manned, fixed-wing aviation continue to conduct the preplanned interdiction mission? The design for this project revolves around a comparative assessment model of weapon systems that can accomplish the preplanned interdiction mission. The performance results of the selected weapon systems across interdiction relevant categories provide the framework for this analysis. The determination from this study is that manned, fixed-wing aviation should expect to be phased out of the preplanned interdiction mission over the next 20 years. This phase out process began in 1991 during Operation DESERT STORM with the introduction of cruise missiles. The process will begin to reach completion with the maturity of UCAVs in about 2010. UCAVs and missiles will become the principal elements of the U.S. military's preplanned interdiction effort.