Deseret News | New unmanned aircraft tested at Dugway

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New unmanned aircraft tested at Dugway

Diana | 8:09 p.m. Sept. 23, 2009

I have been flying RC aircraft for 40+ years.
I have also been using them to keep track of livestock in rough terrain for 12+ years.

I am ASTOUNDED that it took the military so long to find their usefulness, considering that airborne spotters in balloons were used during the CIVIL WAR!!

Dave | 11:21 p.m. Sept. 23, 2009

Dugway will shortly have access to a group of highly qualified, extremely dedicated and experience personnel who live in the area and who will be available as soon as the chemical weapons facility finishes its work. Dugway is an ideal location and will have a more than adequate pool of people to man this project.

Military, wake up | 1:11 a.m. Sept. 24, 2009

How is it that the enemy is burying bombs in roads. The military ought to keep the number of roads traveled on to a minimum and those roads that are traveled on should be monitored and protected against the laying of mines.

Comments continue below

Evets | 7:18 a.m. Sept. 24, 2009

Diana: The military has been experimenting and using them for over 20 years. What is new is that a consolidated testing facility will be at Dugway. Dugway is a "Proving Ground" with lots of space so it makes sense that they are tested here.

Military 1:11: The UAVs are one of many robotic tools the military uses. They have ground robotic vehicles that survey and detect bombs, mines and other things such as chemical and biological weapons. There is a lot going on that is not publicized. They are not secret but are low profile.

re: Military, wake up | 7:39 a.m. Sept. 24, 2009

Great idea. Here's a few more to add to your brilliant list--

Don't get shot in vital parts of the body.

Shoot them in vital parts of the body.

Eat a good breakfast.

Say your prayers.

Goverment Waste | 1:49 p.m. Sept. 24, 2009

Why is the US Army spending a bunch of money on this sort of thing when the US Air Force already has an established UAV program?

This is a perfect example of government waste through accomplishing essentially the same task over and over and over and over again.

It is time that we get SERIOUS about government spending!

**WHY NOT pass a bill that makes it against the law to spend more each year than we receive from tax money? The one exception would be during times of LARGE SCALE, DECLARED wars.

Why has nobody talked about this?

@Government Waste | 4:23 p.m. Sept. 24, 2009

To the best of my knowledge the US Air Force does not have a single hand launched UAV in their inventory, nor does the Air Force have a need for such UAV's. The Army does have a need and will being using them more in the future. If you are in fact serious about government spending then you should know that defense is one of the Constitutionally mandated requirements for the federal government.

my 2 cents | 8:50 a.m. Sept. 25, 2009

The US Air Force does indeed have hand launched systems, their Fwd Air Controllers utilize them... however, the US Air Force has NO operational relevance regarding the employment of UAS (especially small UAS) in support of ground operations. Their operators who fly the missions are too far removed from the fight to truly comprehend the Ground Commanders Intent and then execute within it, thus the Army rightfully sought its own platforms executed by its own warfighters. The Air Force does indeed have a UAV program, just not one that works in support of the Army mission.

re: Government Waste | 9:45 a.m. Sept. 25, 2009

The US Army has had an established UAV program for quite a while. The fact that you are just learning about it is new.

U.S. Navy? | 4:13 p.m. Sept. 30, 2009

Interesting the comments here are about USA/USAF but I recently saw an Aviation Week & Space Technology blog that suggests the best work and potential for UAV payload development and utility is actually at China Lake, CA in a program being run by the USN. I don't think they do platform development, just payload and utility.

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9 photos

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News

Guests look over the extended range multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicle at Dugway on Wednesday. The U.S. Army is opening its Unmanned Aircraft Systems Project Office Rapid Integration and Acceptance Center in Dugway Proving Ground.

Gallery (9 photos)