Page 94 - Maritime Services and the Kill Web

The Maritime Services, the Allies and Shaping the Kill Web

Second, the crewing is being shaped to support the manned-unmanned pairing.

Crew needs to be able to maintain, support and to operate two different systems and to do so within the
confines of a small ship, the LCS.

This puts a premium on shaping crew skill sets which can synergistically support the composite detachment.

As one officer put it: “When aviators break the aircraft, they fix them, both the manned and the unmanned.

“All the operators, both the crewmen and the pilots are cross-trained to operate both types of aircraft. We
have dual qualified operators.”
And the advantage of doing so provided a better understanding of what the dyad could deliver as an
overall capability.

“What we have found is that you create a more cohesive team when the MQ-8 operators also know how to
fly the 60, and the 60 operators know how to fly the MQ-8, and have changed those roles several times
during the week.

“Basically, they then understand the limitations and abilities of each system and the synergy which can be
achieved by operating together.”

In effect, what the Navy is creating is a common operational culture shaped by the two systems, rather than
creating an unmanned operational ghetto.
Third, the actual operational experience of working a composite detachment will drive future operations and
future operational requirements.

It is an iterative process.

Clearly, the US Navy is acting on the assumption that one needs to get the technology into the hands of the
warfighter to drive innovation rather than building better briefing charts.
After all, power point slides only kill the audience, not the enemy.

Fourth, the operational experience of the dyad will be part of shaping the way ahead with ship design, and
requirements as well.

As one officer put it: “As we look at what ships we need and how to use them in the future, this concept of
manned-unmanned teaming both with organic systems as well as the use of national systems use is really
critical to how we will use those ships, and how we’ll deliver those capabilities.”

In simple terms, it is about getting best value out of systems, which operate from the deck space.

As one officer put it: “Everything that goes on the ship has to buy its way on the ship through the capability
that it delivers.”

In short, the composite detachment is viewed as a cutting edge capability which will be enhanced in the future.
“The future of aviation certainly offers the distributed fleet a suite of capabilities that are met between a
pairing of manned and unmanned systems.

“What missions will go to the manned and unmanned, well that remains to be seen, but most definitely the
future of aviation is going to be a pairing of both manned systems and unmanned systems.”
Second Line of Defense

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