Pentagon to Reduce Procurement of Unmanned Aerial Craft by a Third over the Next DecadeNovember 21, 2008
 The number of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the Pentagon's arsenal has soared over the past decade. But these high-flying numbers are about to drop back to earth, according to a report in the trade publication Military & Aerospace Electronics. The Military & Aerospace Electronics article notes that spending on UAVs went from a meager $500 million in 1999 to $3.5 billion in 2009, but will fall to about $2.6 billion annually by 2019 — a 35% decline. The publication interviewed defense industry analysts who are members of the Government Electronics Industry Association, or GEIA. Pentagon purchases of UAVs at present include the Global Hawk high-altitude, high-endurance UAV, and the Predator reconnaissance and attack UAV. The analysts predict that the Global Hawk will remain a mainstay of the Defense Department’s arsenal along with the Navy's Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System. By 2019, the UAV arsenal will also include the Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System, the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle, the Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle and the Predator, according to GEIA analysts. Overall spending for military procurement over the next decade will increase slightly — from $101.15 billion to $102.53 billion — with most of the allocation aimed at new ships, aircrafts, combat vehicles and electronic equipment, according to Military & Aerospace Electronics. A portion of that amount will also be used for repair and upgrades of equipment that is wearing thin after several years of combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. © U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Erik Gudmundson |
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