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据spacewar网2020年2月27日报道，作为面向2030战略明确的科技转型战略组成部分，美空军最近宣布“先锋计划”（Vanguard Program），旨在通过样机和试验验证加速推进先进新兴武器系统和作战概念开发，增强改变游戏规则的新型作战能力，为作战人员提供未来十年战场优势武器。“先锋计划”提出三项倡议项目，即“黄金集群”、“导航技术卫星3号（NTS-3）”和“下一代自主无人战机智能平台（Skyborg）”，将由“空军技术执行官” (TEO)领导下的新的临时转型能力办公室 (TCO)负责这些计划项目研究执行与过渡管理 ，空军计划执行办公室 (PEOs) 负责制定并实施各计划项目的采办战略，首先设立三个PEOs，即“黄金集群-武器系统计划执行办公室”、“NTS-3-航天计划执行办公室和敏捷作战支援计划执行办公室”以及“Skyborg-先进飞机计划执行办公室”。
Air Force Announces Vanguard PEOS
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (AFNS) Feb 27, 2020
 Skyborg is an autonomy-focused capability that will enable the Air Force to operate and sustain low-cost, teamed aircraft that can thwart adversaries with quick, decisive actions in contested environments. The program will enable airborne combat mass by building a transferable autonomy foundation for a family of layered, unmanned air vehicles. See more about this program here at AFRL |
The Air Force recently announced the Vanguard Program as part of its transformational science and technology portfolio identified in the 2030 strategy for the next decade.
Vanguard programs will rapidly advance emerging weapon systems and warfighting concepts through prototyping and experimentation. With these programs, the Air Force aims to deliver game changing new operational capabilities that provide warfighters with superior advantages on the battlefield in the next decade.
The Vanguard program launched with the selection of three initiatives. The three programs are Golden Horde, Navigation Technology Satellite 3 (NTS-3), and Skyborg. Research execution and transition of these programs will be managed by a new, provisional Transformational Capabilities Office (TCO) under the Air Force Technology Executive Officer (TEO).
Air Force Program Executive Offices (PEOs) were designated to develop and execute acquisition strategies for each individual program. The PEOs for these first three programs are: Golden Horde – PEO Weapons; NTS-3 – PEO Space and PEO Agile Combat Support; and Skyborg – PEO Advanced Aircraft.
“Vanguards will transform our warfighting capabilities and change the way we fight and the way we employ air and space power. These are game changing technologies that will challenge what our opponents think about us, how they react to us, and ultimately pull them off their game plan. Vanguards will help us do that.” said Gen. Arnold W. Bunch Jr., Commander, Air Force Materiel Command.
Air Force Research Laboratory commander and TEO Brig. Gen. Evan Dertien explained that Vanguards are key to addressing future national security challenges and ensuring our technological superiority, “Vanguards will enable entirely new concepts of military operations and provide the warfighter with new possibilities.”
The PEO for Weapons, Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo, is lead for Golden Horde. Golden Horde will demonstrate collaborative autonomous networked weapons by creating an integrated weapon system in which different technologies work together to defeat targets.
These weapons will share, receive and analyze data to execute coordinated actions and react to enemy forces, and provide our future warfighters highly accurate, effective data to ensure destruction of enemy targets.
The PEO for Space, Lt. Gen. John F. Thompson, and the PEO for Agile Combat Support, Paul Waugh, are the co-leads for NTS-3. The NTS-3 will enhance space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) across the ground, space and user equipment segments. The prototype demonstration includes a space-based test vehicle, enterprise command and control ground segment, and agile software defined radios.
The satellite segment will operate for one year in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit to test new hardware, software, and operational capabilities. During the satellite system’s orbit, it will integrate experimental antennas with flexible and secure signals, increased automation, and commercial ground assets. NTS-3 will pave the way for new reprogrammable software-defined GPS receivers that can readily adapt to operational needs and respond to changing conditions. Warfighters will ultimately benefit from increased security and flexibility in navigation.
The PEO for Advanced Aircraft, Col. Dale White, is the lead for Skyborg. Skyborg will attempt to integrate autonomous Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) technology with open missions systems to enable manned-unmanned teaming. Skyborg seeks to deliver a prototype suite of technologies to enable autonomous UAVs with enhanced capabilities for Air Force missions. Autonomous systems can support missions that are too strenuous or dangerous for manned crews. Therefore, this technology can increase capability significantly and be a force multiplier for the U.S. Air Force.