Użycie bezpilotowych aparatów latających (BAL) we wsparciu ogniowym w operacji „Iracka Wolność”

The author touches on the problem of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in fire support on the example of the conflict in Iraq. UAVs are used for the battlefield reconnaissance mainly on strategic and operational levels. However, as experiences from fighting in Iraq show, they are more and more commonly used on a tactical level as well. In the operation Iraqi Freedom UAVs were used in reconnaissance for fire support. The basic recce equipment of the enemy artillery and missiles in the US Army are radiolocation stations ANT PQ - 36 and 37. This equipment, although extremely efficient, can only perform active reconnaissance, i.e. detect enemy artillery after it started its combat activities. However, UAVs can detect artillery on standby or moving to other combat posts. Due to UAVs the enemy artillery can be detected even before their combat activities started what limits friendly losses and allows gaining fire domination on the battlefield. Brief characteristics of UAVs used in Iraq were presented in the first part of the article. The basic tactical and technical data and main reconnaissance devices mounted on UAVs board were described. The second part of the article deals with the way UAVs were used in reconnaissance for fire support in the 5th Mechanised Corps and Marines Corps. The scheme of destroying the enemy artillery process and data reconnaissance transfer and the way they are used were presented on illustrations. Some particular examples of using UAVs on the battlefield were shown. Using UAVs for fire support significantly increased the abilities of proactive detection and destruction of the enemy fire assets. UAVs have been rapidly developing recently and one can assume that they will play a more and more important role on the battlefield replacing manned aircraft.