In Pursuit of 21st Century Distributed Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operations

Many DoD often reasonably conclude that the Air Force's distributed ISR architecture of Predator and Global Hawk Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) intelligence centers seamlessly operate as a collective team, perhaps akin to a crew on an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) or E-8C Joint Surveillance Attack Radar System (JSTARS). Unfortunately, this is not the case. What is seldom understood is that crew members of RPA front and DCGS back-end components do not operate as an integrated crew. They do not plan, debrief or discuss the mission together. In fact, the members rarely know one another. Though a cyber network links these nodes, a framework to optimize their employment does not exist. Framework limitations include a comprehensive Air Force-level direction to integrate operations, a lack of mechanisms to build a virtual crew between the elements, a dearth of operational doctrine and procedures, and the absence of inter-nodal training. Developing an AF-level Program Action Directive to improve MAJCOM-level coordination in acquisition, procedures, training and funding will improve coordination between all distributed ISR nodes as well as overall mission effectiveness.