According to The Huntsville Times, the Army is still fighting centralized management of unmanned aerial vehicles. However, this time around, the Joint Requirements Oversight Council appears to have sided with the Air Force—at least somewhat. The JROC reportedly agrees that the Air Force should take point for higher-flying UAVs, but it wants to set up joint program offices. Still to come, though, is a decision on combat operational control. The Air Force wants medium to high altitude UAVs under the control of the joint air boss. And, late last month, the Government Accountability Office indicated that US Central Command deems that a “critical factor,” as well.
The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…