Submitted by TEAM Public Affairs, PEO (W)

As the Navy’s first deployed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a PioneerUAV System will be donated to the Smithsonian next month. It will be on display at the Smithsonian’s new aviation museum to be located near the Dulles International Airport. Pioneerwill be the first UAV to be displayed there.

The Pioneersystem has seen operational use in U.S. contingency operations since the system's original fielding in 1986. First deployed aboard the Navy's battleship USS Iowa, the Pioneeris currently assigned to support ship-deployable Navy detachments, both East and West coast, two Marine Corps companies, plus testing and training units. Successful deployments have been accomplished aboard battleships, aboard amphibious ships, and on land.

Since its inception, Pioneer has flown more than 20,000 hours in direct support of Navy operational commanders by providing the imagery intelligence necessary to enable force deployment decisions. Pioneerhas a low radar cross section and a small infrared signature that minimizes its detection.

The high point of Pioneer's operational history was its unprecedented success during Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps commanders lauded the UAV for its effectiveness as a reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition platform, as well as a Naval Gunfire Support, battle damage assessment, and battlefield management platform.

Once during Desert Storm, Iraqi troops actually surrendered to a PioneerUAV. At the time, the USS Missouri,using her Pioneerto define accuracy for the 16-inch rifle fire, devastated the defenses of Faylaka Island, which is off the coast near Kuwait City. Shortly thereafter, while still over the horizon and invisible to the defenders, the USS Wisconsinsent her Pioneerover Faylaka Island at low altitude.

When the Pioneercame over the island, the defenders heard the sound emitted by the two-cycle engine, as the air vehicle was intentionally flown low to let the Iraqis know that they were targeted. Recognizing that with the "vulture" overhead, there would soon be more of those 2,000-pound naval gunfire rounds landing on their positions with the same accuracy, the Iraqis made the right choice and, using handkerchiefs, undershirts, and bedsheets, they signaled their desire to surrender.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital center for research into the history, science and technology of aviation and space flight. Located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the museum has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903 Flyer, "The Spirit of St. Louis," Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock. The museum boasts the most dazzling array of flying machines ever assembled in one place. Artifacts in 23 exhibit areas of the museum span the history of flight, documenting major historical and technical achievements.

A (by invitation only) celebration of the induction is planned for October 3.

The Pioneerprogram is managed by the Navy’s Program Executive Office (Strike Weapons and Unmanned Aviation) (PEO (W)), located at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. The manufacturer of the vehicle is PioneerUAV, Inc., located at Hunt Valley, Md.

For information on this and other PEO (W) Programs go to: http://www.strikenet.js.mil