Anti-UAV defense for ground forces and hypervelocity rocket lethality models

• Main Author: Beel, Joseph John
• Other Authors: Gaver, Donald P.
• Language: en_US
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2013
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/30603

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. === This thesis analyzes the threat that unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pose to U.S. ground forces. The operational environment in which both lethal and non-lethal UAVs may be encountered by friendly surface forces is examined to determine the elements of UAV operation which may be exploited in defense against UAVs. Two probability models of the air defense endgame are developed to examine the potential lethality of hypervelocity rocket anti-UAV weapons. These models are used to determine the detonation distance which maximizes the probability that a single hypervelocity rocket kills a UAV. Data used in this study are synthetic to prevent disclosure of classified and proprietary information and allow wider distribution of this thesis.