Demand from commanders in Iraq is driving an evaluation of Class I unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and small unmanned ground vehicles (SUGV) that may result in earlier fielding of the Future Combat Systems (FCS) components, U.S. Army officials say.

Paul Mehney, the Army’s FCS communicator, said there are advantages to fielding the systems earlier than planned. “The Class I UAV provides a hover-and-stare capability we don’t have on the battlefield,” he said. “And the SUGV provides enhanced sensing capabilities.”

Soldiers with the Army Evaluation Task Force at Ft. Bliss, Texas, are in the final stages of training on the two platforms, Mehney said. They will begin evaluating the systems, providing the Army with a full report in September or October 2008. Based on the report, the Army will make a decision whether to begin fielding the Class I UAV and SUGV, keep the two components as a core program or take variants out into the field.

Photo: US Army