Ahhh... No need for another "Revolt of the Admirals"

Announced today in Aviation Week:

Deputy Defense Secretary Kills USAF UAV Takeover

Sep 17, 2007

By Amy Butler/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England has halted the U.S. Air Force's controversial push to take over management of the Pentagon's growing Unmanned Air System (UAS) fleet.

USAF Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley made the proposal in a March 5 memo to take over management of all Pentagon UAS programs. It was met with ire from officials in the Army and Navy (DAILY, March 26).

Moseley had proposed to consolidate operational control of UASs flying over 3,500 feet (including Army and special operations tactical UAS) under the control of a regional Air Force officer. The Army, in particular, fought against this proposal, arguing that such a leadership shift is perilous to take on while operations continue in Iraq and Afghanistan and that their commanders must maintain operational control over their UAS to ensure freedom to maneuver in battle...

Also noted:

This decision also relieves the Navy of concerns that the Air Force could subsume oversight of its high-dollar UAS contracts - including the Unmanned Combat Air System-Demonstrator recently awarded to Northrop Grumman and a soon-to-be-decided Broad Area Maritime Surveillance contract.

Thus ending the potential for the repeat of history in marking one's territory and petitioning for budgetary allocations in a burgeoning new aerial arena.