Особливості застосування оперативно-тактичної безпілотної розвідувальної авіації у воєнних конфліктах ХХ століття

Abstract

The analysis of a wide range of reconnaissance and surveillance tasks in military conflicts with the use of operational-tactical unmanned reconnaissance aircraft of the twentieth century caused the need to systematize the features, conditions and problematic issues for its application.The purpose of the article. Systematize the features, conditions and problematic issues of the use of operational-tactical unmanned reconnaissance aircraft in military conflicts of the twentieth century.The main tasks that were solved with the help of UAVs were: identifying targets; estimation of losses inflicted on the enemy by air strikes; conducting joint operations with manned aircraft and ground units. In addition, UAVs were used to track terrorist units and rocket artillery combat vehicles in the border areas. These were primitive, but relevant at that time, tasks that determined the beginning of the first stage of the development of the UAV.The military conflict in thePersian Gulfgave the military considerable experience in the use of UAVs at different stages of the conflict, both at the preparatory stage and during the fighting. TheUnited Statesand its allies for the first time managed to create a single global information and strike system, one of the main elements of which was reconnaissance UAVs.It is believed that the operation “Allied Force”, which was conducted by the NATO combined forces inYugoslaviain 1999, was the first full-scale test for unmanned vehicles.Operational-tactical reconnaissance UAVs proved that in the difficult conditions of modern military conflicts, they are more effective than manned aircraft and solve reconnaissance tasks. Such advantages of the UAV as low cost, no danger to the pilot, relative undemanding of the operating conditions, etc. forced the military to use UAVs more frequently during reconnaissance missions.Further research should be carried out in such topical areas: the development of tactics for the use of operational-tactical UAVs in various conditions of warfare; improving the system of training specialists in unmanned aircraft for the entire line of specialties; reducing the visibility of the UAV for anti-aircraft means of destroying the enemy, etc.