The Future is Now

Air Power in the Age of Manned-Unmanned Teaming

The unmanned aerial systems (UAS) have evolved over the years from relatively simple
surveillance and reconnaissance platforms to sophisticated and increasingly autonomous system-
of-systems that are a key part of any military strategy and tactics. In a significant development,
artificial intelligence empowered unmanned systems are now teaming up with manned platforms
and are shaping up as the path for future operations in what is commonly called as manned-
unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

As a concept, MUM-T describes the interaction between humans and uninhabited vehicles at the
tactical level for the achievement of specific missions and tasks. It is described as “the synchronised
employment of soldier, manned and unmanned air and ground vehicles, robotics and sensors to
achieve situational understanding, greater lethality and improved survivability.”1 Though MUMT
is applicable across the land, sea and air domains, it is the air domain that has seen the most
advancement and has adopted the concept in a major way.

In a 2013 MUM-T Strategy Brief, the United States Army Aviation Center of Excellence defined
MUM-T as, “The synchronized employment of soldier, manned and unmanned air and ground
vehicles, robotics and sensors to achieve enhanced situational understanding, greater lethality and
improved survivability.”2

Employing unmanned systems in combat is not a new concept. The earliest reference to using a
unmanned combat system can be found in Greek mythology in third century BCE as the ancient
Greeks envisioned Talos – a giant, bronze automaton to protect the island of Crete.3 Centuries
later, Leonardo da Vinci designed a proto-mechanical knight while Tesla thought of unmanned
systems. Decades later, Liddell Hart visualised unmanned systems on the battlefield of the future,
stating:4

“Even to-day aircraft are the most effective and economic means of long-range bombardment. And the
advent of wireless control of such machines, dispensing with the need for a costly human crew, will immensely
augment their advantage.”

United States had experimented with unmanned systems in early 1920’s with N-9 floatplane and
Kettering Bug but it was only during the World War II that unmanned systems were used in
combat with V-1 and V-2 being the more famous of the many such systems experimented with.
But these were simply unmanned system which could not claim to be teamed with a manned
system per se. While the use of a Royal Air Force B-17 bomber to attack German submarine pens
is claimed as an early example of MUM-T but it was a later use of Interstate TDR-1 attack drone
that can be considered to be an early use of manned-unmanned team in combat.

1 Thomas Withington, “Manned-Unmanned Teaming”, Emsopedia, accessed 7 Jan 2022 at

https://www.emsopedia.org/entries/manned-unmanned-teaming/
2 Rossetti, Lt Col Livio, “Manned-Unmanned Teaming”, JAPCC Journal 29, 2020 pp 42-47
3 Sparkes, Brian, The Red and the Black: Studies in Greek pottery. Routledge, NEw York, 1996, p. 124.
4 Liddell Hart, Sir Basil, The British Way in Warfare, Faber and Faber Limited, London, 1932
On September 27, 1944, four drones, each armed with a 2,000-pound bomb, flew 55 miles to
Bougainville to attack a Japanese anti-aircraft battery established on a beached merchant vessel.
One of the TDR-1s was lost at sea, the second crashed 30 yards astern of the gun emplacement,
but the bomb failed to detonate while the third probably hit the ship. It was the fourth drone that
flew through flak to land dead-centre on target and explode. The drones were remotely controlled
by a pilot in a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber accompanying the drones as a television camera
mounted in the drone’s nose transmitted images back to a five-inch screen mounted in the
Avenger’s rear cockpit from where a pilot used a radio-control to guide the drones. It was a simple
but effective method that combined the manned and the unmanned systems effectively to achieve
a hit.

Combat operations with the drones continued for the next month. With the range of the attacks
extended to 160 miles, STAG One attacked gun installations, bridges, caves, a cargo ship, and a
lighthouse. The standard technique was to fly the TDR-1 directly into the target, but on occasion
the drone dropped bombs remotely. This was MUM-T at its simplest but most effective.5

MUM-T can be executed at different levels with an unmanned platform like a UAV live-streaming
video to an attack helicopter or close air support aircraft allowing the crew to have information
including visuals of the potential targets, but from a safe distance. This is the most basic form of
MUM-T and considered to be Level 1. It only covers the indirect reception of data sent from an
uninhabited vehicle though the uninhabited vehicle may transmit the data to several platforms
simultaneously.6

The other MUMT levels are:

• Level-2 covers the direct communication between an uninhabited vehicle and an inhabited
platform, the former of which specifically provides data for that platform.
• Level-3 control sees the inhabited vehicle not only receiving the direct transmission of data from
the uninhabited vehicle, but also controlling that vehicle’s sensor payloads.
• Level-4 control allows the inhabited platform to control all aspects of the uninhabited vehicle’s
operation sans launch and recovery.
• Finally, Level-5 includes all Level-4 functions but with the inhabited aircraft supervising the
uninhabited vehicle’s launch and recovery.

Having a MUM-T has some apparent advantages that are7:

· Decreasing risk - Unmanned platforms will be able to take over the most high-risk tasks,
increasing pilot safety. MUM-T allows for control of sensors, change fields of view, and use lasers
for ranging and weapons designation with the added potential to fly specific routes and/or

5 Lerner, Preston, “The First Drone Strike—in 1944”, Air & Space Magazine, October 2017 accessed at
https://www.airspacemag.com/military-aviation/drone-strike-180964753/
6 The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s Standardisation Agreement (STANAG) 4586. It refers not only to UAVs,

but also to uninhabited vehicles in general.

7 “Manned Unmanned Teaming - MUT-T”, Airbus, accessed 1 January 2022 at

https://www.airbus.com/en/products-services/defence/uas/uas-solutions/manned-unmanned-teaming-mut-t
reconnaissance patterns. This the attack crews to communicate with multiservice UASs that can
be sent into high-threat environments, effectively minimizing the amount of time required in the
objective area and reducing the risk to both the manned aircraft and aircrew.

· Act as a force multiplier - Multiplying airborne capabilities with Remote Carriers flying
alongside manned aircraft can perform ISR tasks and provide commanders with a clear picture of
friendly and enemy force locations. This enables the optimal utilisation of the full range of assets
at the disposal of the commanders with minimal risks as enhanced situational awareness to all of
the platforms on the battlefield, common data links operating on manned and unmanned,
interoperable platforms helps avoid accidents such as mid-air collisions and fratricide incidents

In pursuit of developing MUM-T capabilities, most of the advanced military powers have been
experimenting with integration of unmanned and manned systems. Nearer home, China
conducted the first trial flight of its latest aircraft theJ-20S (or J-20B as it at times called) in
November 2021 making it the first twin-seat stealth fighter in the world. While speculations
abound about its possible role and employment, it was clarified by Yang Wei, chief designer of the
aircraft in late September itself that, " it would not be a trainer aircraft” and it would be developed
for the enhancement of the aircraft. One possible role is to use the J-20S as a fighter bomber in
more complicated combat situations but a more likely and exciting role would be to control loyal
wingman-style drones in a manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).8

On the other side of the pacific, the US Army’s McDonnell Douglas/Boeing AH-64D/E
Apache/Guardian helicopter fleet is already functional and can carry out MUM-T from Level-2
up to Level-4. Boeing’s Airpower Teaming System (ATS) nicknamed the ‘Loyal Wingman’ is built
around a UAV that can be configured for a range of missions and can function with inhabited
aircraft.9 These are not the only MUM-T projects underway as the United States established its
first manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) squadron in March 2015 as it teamed Boeing AH-
64D/E Apache helicopters with Textron Systems RQ-7B Shadow UAV in one heavy attack-
reconnaissance unit.10

In April 2020, MQ-9A Block 5 demonstrated connectivity with U.S. Navy surface ships and
aircraft during the U.S. Pacific Fleet’s Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem ’21 exercise in a test
to “further incorporate unmanned capabilities in day-to-day fleet operations and battle plans.”
Later in the year, in October 2020 MQ-1C Gray Eagle Extended Range UAS teamed up with an
Apache AH-64E helicopter and a Shadow RQ-7BV2 Block III tactical UAS to successfully execute
a live missile fire.11

8 Xuanzun, Liu, “Innovation of twin-seat J-20 stealth fighter to lead world, military experts say after reported maiden
flight”, Global Times, 7 November 2021 accessed 26 December 2021 at
https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1238343.shtml
9 Thomas Withington, “Manned-Unmanned Teaming”, Emsopedia, accessed 7 Jan 2022 at
https://www.emsopedia.org/entries/manned-unmanned-teaming/
10 Stevenson, Ben, “US Army establishes first manned-unmanned unit”, Flight Global, 24 March 2015 accessedd 4 Jan

2022 at https://www.flightglobal.com/helicopters/us-army-establishes-first-manned-unmanned-unit/116335.article
11 Gutierrez, Peter, “MUMS” THE WORD, Inside Unmanned Systems, 25 October 2021 accessed 9 January 2022

at https://insideunmannedsystems.com/mums-the-word/
Russia, the great rival of United States is a late starter in the MUM-T race but has exciting
programmes lined up. Therecently unveiled Grom UCAV is designed to operate under the control
of manned aircraft, specifically Su-35 fourth-generation and Su-57 fifth-generation fighters.
Several of these UAVs, capable of flying at speeds of up to 1000km/h (with a cruising speed of
800km/h) and carrying up to 2t of bombs and missiles, would undertake the traditionally risky
role of suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD), plus engagement of ground and surface
targets.12 Earlier, the S-70 Okhotnik-B UAS flew with Su-57 for the first time in 2019 in a flight
that lasted 30 minutes. On this flight, Okhotnik-B flew with a full avionics configuration in an
automated mode demonstrating key features for a Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T)
capability.13

As the emerging rival to United States , China is investing in a big way in MUM-T. According to
an Indian defence expert, “MUMT will be very much a practiced concept with China, as will be
the autonomous attacks using UAS and swarm attacks. It will, therefore, be prudent to expect
China to un-roll a full-spectrum MUMT threat in any future conflict.”14 This view may not exactly
be true as China still has a long way to go before it achieves operational MUM-T capabilities.
Adding to the difficulties in making evaluate the exact status of the UAV systems and a realistic
assessment is the opaque nature of PLA weapons development programmes.

GJ-11 UAV is China’s most technologically impressive UAV but is also the most secretive
program and even though the GJ-11 shown at China’s National Day parade was an obvious mock-
up, its mere presence at the parade would suggest that it has entered service. However, its exact
capabilities regarding MUM-T can only be a matter of speculation. Depending on how widely
produced GJ-11 is, it could form an important base of knowledge and development for MUM-
T/loyal wingman and the systems tested and verified aboard a mature and in-service GJ-11 fleet
could then be duplicated aboard more capable UAV and UCAV designs.

Similarly, the development of J-20S for pairing it with a UAV is still being considered by China,
not that it has already developed the capability. As Chinese air force pilot Liu Qihong was quoted
in an interview on the state broadcaster CCTV:15

“The future is a big era for drone development. Important questions are: what role
should drones play in future battlefields, how to team up manned and unmanned
vehicles, and what tactical goal can be achieved”

12Nersisyan, Leonid, “Russia jumps on the MUM-T bandwagon”, Shepard Media, 25 September 2020 accessed 11
January 2022 at https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/uv-online/premium-russia-jumps-mum-t-bandwagon/
13
S70 Okhotnik Flies MUM-T with Su-57, Defense Update, 28 September 2019 accessed https://defense-
update.com/20190928_okhotnik_mumt.html
14 Saxena, Lt Gen (Dr) VK, “Combining the best of Man and Machine: Threats and Challenges”, Indian Defence

Review, Issue Vol. 36.4, Oct-Dec 2021

15 Huang, Kristin, “China’s military looks to J-20 jet-drone match-up for combat edge”, South China Morning Post,

20 November 2021 accessed 6 January 2022 at

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3156742/chinas-military-looks-j-20-jet-drone-match-combat-
edge
A more realistic assessment would be that China is as yet pursuing the MUM-T capabilities but
has not honed them as yet. As the annual report of the United states Department of Defence for
the year 2021 states16

“The PLA considers unmanned systems to be critical intelligentized technologies, and is

pursuing greater autonomy for unmanned aerial, surface, and underwater vehicles (emphasis
added) to enable manned and unmanned hybrid formations, swarm attacks, optimized
logistic support, and disaggregated ISR, among other capabilities.”

Considering the varying stages at which the different programmes are, it is apparent that challenges
remain in fully operationalising the MUM-T concept. A major challenge in the early days that
prevented that prevents human-machine teaming was the inability of AI to mirror its human
counterpart. Manned-unmanned teaming presents a solution to this complex problem as it
combines the critical social intelligence of a human, with the processing speed of a machine.17
Though the seemingly apparent incompatibility between a human and a machine may no longer
be a challenge for MUM-T, the manner in which the aerial platforms communicate remains a
challenge in operationalising MUM-T.

A simple reason is the wide range of radios/waveforms used across the military enterprise that
makes it difficult to ensure interoperability across diverse platforms. One method to overcome
this problem was used during a test involving Gray Eagle demonstration aircraft that carried
multiple radios in diverse wave forms to meet the expanding scope of communications but this
approach may not be workable in case for all aerial platforms and inbuilt systems would need to
be designed to allow intercommunication and interoperability.

In another test, United States Air Force successfully got an F-22, F-35B, and XQ-58A Valkyrie
“attritable” drone talking to each other in December 2020, with the Valkyrie using a “gateway
ONE” translator system that enabled the aircraft to communicate with each other using their
otherwise incompatible datalinks. 18

Communications is just one challenge with the capability of on-site handling and processing of
information being another challenge for MUM-T as the data processing should be done at the
point of interest itself to optimise MUM teaming.

16 Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China, A Report to Congress, 2021 accessed
https://media.defense.gov/2021/Nov/03/2002885874/-1/-1/0/2021-CMPR-FINAL.PDF
17 Rivera, Ensign Jada, “A Flank Bell: The Importance of Manned-Unmanned Teaming”, U.S. Naval Institute Blog, 29

January 2021 accessed 11 January 2022 at https://blog.usni.org/posts/2021/01/29/a-flank-bell-the-importance-of-

manned-unmanned-teaming
18Tirpak, John A., “Skyborg Drone Translates Between F-35 and F-22 in Test”, Air Force Magazine, 16 December
2020 accessed 11 January 2022 at https://www.airforcemag.com/skyborg-drone-translates-between-f-35-and-f-22-
in-test/
In these hyper times, every development is taken as a breakthrough that will change the way we
live. In some fields it may be true but there are still some challenges to be faced and complexities
ironed out. One major issue is to define the role and limits of tasks to be performed by unmanned
systems. In September 2020, the Pentagon conducted a simulated dogfight between F-16s, and
the algorithm won. Despite the victory, there were issues as the system took risks that a human
pilot would not and had no awareness of self-preservation. Would this be the norm in the future?
Will the UAS carry out tasks without that manned systems would not carry out? How and what
would be the limits to ‘risks’ defined? DARPA may have stated that AI’s role in lethality is to
support the human to make a decision, not replace them but the increasing reliance on
autonomous unmanned systems like the newly developed SMASH system to carry out strike
missions will continue to push the envelope, blurring the lines between AI and human control.

A major reason for greater reliance on unmanned systems is the increasing complexities of the
future air combat that necessitates a new approach to dominate the battlespace paving the way for
unmanned systems to be deployed alongside manned platforms, operating in a synergised manner.
These artificial intelligence empowered teams are shaping up the path for future operations. The
evolution of smarter sensors coupled with automated processing tasks now being performed right
at the point of interest are now mature enough to allow more coordinated teamwork between
manned and unmanned systems on the battlefield. What seemed to be in the realm of future is
getting operationalised at a fast pace and the nature of warfare is no longer changing, it has already
changed. It would not be premature to state that for AI driven MUM-T, the future is now.