Base Opens New Center For Remote-Piloted Craft

Las Vegas Review-Journal | March 17, 2005 | Keith Rogers

[Stand Watch Listen]

Nellis Air Force Base on Wednesday opened the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Center for Excellence, which will streamline how Predators and other remotely piloted spy planes are used in fighting terrorism.

The center at the Indian Springs Auxiliary Air Field could bring a type of Star Wars weaponry down to Earth, said Maj. Gen. Stephen Goldfein, commander of the Air Warfare Center.

"I would say the music sheet is sort of open to be written on," Goldfein said when asked about using remotely piloted aircraft as platforms for microwave-directed energy weapons.

Microwave energy generated by a radar transmitter could be used to fry electronic gear or zap humans into unconsciousness without inflicting permanent brain damage.

But Goldfein said the near-term goal of the center is to demonstrate the most effective ways of deploying remotely piloted aircraft. The list includes Predators equipped with laser-guided Hellfire missiles, the Global Hawk and miniature Raven spy planes.

Goldfein said opening the center at the Indian Springs Auxiliary Air Field, 45 miles northwest of Las Vegas, was a logical step because of expansions under way for the nation's high-demand Predator squadrons at the airfield, a new battle laboratory and the airfield's nearness to the Nellis range, where weapon systems can be tested.

"It seemed to make eminent sense to bring all the experts here and press on," he said in a conference call. "Obviously, we have a lot of work to do to put it together in detail."

With much of center's facilities in place or planned for construction to bolster the Predator training program, the remaining costs might include adding more personnel and resources, Goldfein said.

The center could be extended to other service branches such as the Army and Marines, which also operate unmanned aerial vehicles.

"From my perch, there's hardly anything we do at Nellis and at this great training range that is not joint," he said. "I think it would be immensely exciting to have other services join in with us."