Successful implementation of this Technology Plan will be crucial in bridging the technology transition gap and marrying user needs with emerging technology opportunities. Many of the improvements to our airborne reconnaissance fleet will require not only new technologies but new operational concepts. Historically, our technology initiatives have outpaced our operational appreciation on how best to employ them in new scenarios. Therefore, a cornerstone of the DARO technology investment strategy is to support both the development of technology and its transition to operational implementation. This Technology Plan presents a focused set of technical areas for which emphasis is needed. The study process identified these areas in the context of the overall Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Program (DARP), the DoD Science and Technology (S&T) programs managed by the Director, Defense Research and Engineering, and the research thrusts of the National Laboratories, Industry, and Academia.
The evaluation process the DARO chose to use in development of this Technology Plan involved senior members of the defense operational and research and development communities. Under the direction of the DARO Deputy for Technology, this senior group met twice a month for five months to review presentations and demonstrations and to evaluate pertinent technology opportunities. A working group of technical experts supported the Senior Review Group (SRG), and the DARO Director invited representatives from the Services, Joint Staff and Defense Agencies to actively participate in all meetings of the SRG. The goal of this effort was to identify, and quantify resource profiles for, those technology areas that offer the greatest operational payoff in a projected environment of expanding airborne reconnaissance requirements and limited budgets. The approach followed was to:
A series of briefings and demonstrations was conducted to provide data for evaluation by the groups. This series involved three phases. First, airborne reconnaissance and ground processing requirements were presented by personnel from all four Services, the Joint Staff, the Defense Agencies, and other organizations. Second, details and shortfalls of the airborne reconnaissance-related programs and technologies were presented by Government and industry personnel, to include selected recommendations. Third, operational personnel provided on-site demonstrations and briefings on how intelligence data is collected by manned and unmanned aerial platforms, and processed, disseminated and used to support the operator and warfighter. That phase was particularly useful during the study to help clarify and amplify reconnaissance requirements. The close interaction between the DARO, the Services, Joint Staff, Agencies and other organizations was critical to the success of the endeavor.