With the exception of current no-fly zones in Iraq and Bosnia, we normally do not have conventional aerospace forces posed for immediate precision strike, nor do we have the capability to exercise this option beyond one or two theaters. Although no-fly zones in Iraq and Bosnia are considered successful operations, the operations tempo and dollar cost of maintaining this deterrence is high. These expectations will demand the development of a force multiplier to overcome the current, conventional aerospace triad limitations. The force multiplier required for 2025 conventional aerospace triad forces must be capable of exercising the airpower tenets of shock, surprise, and precision strike while reducing the OODA-loop time from observation to action to only seconds. Also, this force must possess the capabilities of stealth for survivability and reliability for a life span equivalent to that of manned aircraft.
Many possibilities exist across the spectrum of conflict.
This paper develops the concept of a stealthy, reliable UAV capable of precision strike. StrikeStar could act as a force multiplier in a conventional aerospace triad one fourth the size of the 1996 force structure. The StrikeStar UAV could add a new dimension to the war fighter's arsenal of weapons systems. In a shrinking defense budget, it might be a cheaper alternative to costly manned strike aircraft if today's high altitude endurance UAVs are used as a target cost guide. StrikeStar must rely on a system of reconnaissance assets to provide the information needed for it to precisely and responsively deliver weapons on demand.