Air Force draws fire in bid to control UAVs

The split between the Air Force and Army over the future of remote-controlled aircraft is widening. Now the Navy and Marine Corps are joining the fray — and siding with the Army.

At issue is the Air Force proposal to the Defense Department suggesting it become the lead agency for developing and fielding unmanned aircraft that primarily fly above 3,500 feet. What the Air Force sees as a bid for efficiency, the other services see as a mission grab.

The dispute was the center of attention April 19 during a congressional hearing officially called to review the services’ budget requests for unmanned aerial vehicles and other reconnaissance aircraft. But much of the nearly 2-1/2 hour session focused on the Air Force’s UAV proposal.

Read the rest at Navy Times

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