Posted on 03/10/2010 6:15:30 PM PST by myknowledge
Commander Colonel Kevin W. Bradley taxis past assembled family, friends and distinguished visitors for the last time with F-16C block 30 #85-1570 (marked 174 FW) at Hancock Field ANGB. The 174th FW has converted to the MQ-9 Reaper and began flying 24/7 operations in support of OEF on 1 December 2009.
Unit morale and esprit departed with the jets.
Somewhere 20 years hence when the war with China breaks out someone will be asking “where are our fighters” as the drones get blasted out of the sky by RedArmy fighter pilots in fighters 20 years newer than the dwindling few American opponents.
We don’t know what advances could occur in Artificial intelligence in the next 20 years.
Actually, the Red Chinese fighters in your scenario will have been destroyed on the ground long before taking off by swarms of cheap, disposable robot strike planes operated by bored remote pilots in a container building in Nevada.
Think of the satellites controlling the datalinks between the drones and their control stations. What if they were destroyed by ChiCom ASAT missiles?
“Somewhere 20 years hence when the war with China breaks out someone will be asking “where are our fighters” as the drones get blasted out of the sky by RedArmy fighter pilots in fighters 20 years newer than the dwindling few American opponents.”
Pilots (red, or any other color) are limited in what their bodies can take, and can only die once. Remotely piloted aircraft can pull as many g’s, both pos. and neg. as the airframe can withstand, which already is FAR more than a human body.
If the remote-piloted plane is shot down, the pilot can switch over to a fresh aircraft holding nearby on autopilot and re-engage. I’d rather be the remote pilot than the one in the cockpit..... and if the plane is flown by an artificial intelligence computer then you’re no longer limited by the number of pilots you can train, only by the capacity of your production line and availability of raw materials.
A.I. and R.P.V. is the future of air combat.
UCAVs are the whole new idea.
.. A giant computerized defense system making current warfare technology obsolete.
The Chinese ASAT missiles will likewise be destroyed on the ground by small, unpiloted robot strike craft.
The UAVs of the future will not be like those we know today. They will be tiny, cheap, and largely self-guided. No air defense system will be able to stop 50,000 sparrow-sized autonomous flying robots, each carrying 1 gram of high explosive.
“A.I. and R.P.V. is the future of air combat.”
You and Obama agree. Me, as a former air to air fighter pilot feel strongly that that is a load of bunk. But what do I know?
Agreed. It’s the same reason we don’t use robot/remote controlled firemen to enter our homes and save us from fires. Sometimes, you just need the SA that only a zippersuit can provide.
once upon a time... 
“You and Obama agree.”
That is a coincidence. I take the position that I do only because I’m an engineer familiar with the laws of physics, and the limitations/frailty of the human body when it comes to interacting with machines.
“Me, as a former air to air fighter pilot feel strongly that that is a load of bunk. But what do I know?”
How do you think you’d go in a close-in turning fight with a craft that can pull, say, positive or negative 30+ g’s with no ill effect whatsoever to the remote pilot, and would easily turn inside you or out manouvre incoming missiles? If you did manage to shoot it down the pilot had another one on standby in the air that (s)he can instantly jump into and continue the fight? also bear in mind that the craft doesn’t even need to return to base for the pilot to survive, it can be used as a weapon and flown straight into you - the plane itself is a weapon.
I’d be interested to hear your evaluation, as a fighter pilot, of how you would deal with such an adversary. I’m not trying to be argumentative but as an engineer I’m very interested to hear the pilot’s perspective on this.
Aussie Joe, believe in pilot dave. A current F-22 fighter can sweep every UAV out of the sky before it and the remote ground controllers (they’re NOT pilots)even know they are a mort. And the F-22 jock won’t even be pulling 2 Gs. The slaughter stops only when the F-22 runs out of ammo.
There won’t be any 30 G dogfights. You don’t understand how fighter tactics work. You are dreaming or reading too many Popular Science articles if you think a narrow mission drone can operate in anything other than a non-threatening environment. The (limited) success of drones in the Middle East is only happening because we own the sky and the drones face no defenses. The Chinese will not be so cooperative. All those fancy toys, without US air cover, will have less longevity than a clay pidgeon in Sarah Palin’s back yard.
“A current F-22 fighter can sweep every UAV out of the sky before it and the remote ground controllers (they’re NOT pilots)even know they are a mort.”
What makes them so devastatingly effective? is it the weapons systems, i.e. BVR missilies & radar? ...does integration with other battlefield systems e.g. long range radar like AWACS (do they still have AWACS?) feeding them info on enemy positions play a significant role? Do they still; have guns for close-in digfighting, and do the pilots train for that possibility?
That’s right! We former cavalry officers know that nothing can replace a well-drilled dragoon and his saber mounted atop a charging stallion. All this talk of “armored warfare” and “tanks” is pure propaganda straight from the desk of Woodrow W. Wilson. Remember San Juan Hill!
An Obama campaign speech???
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
UAVs will be shot out of the skys long before they can destroy any aircraft on the ground. Manned fighters are needed for air superiority and will be for years into the future, if not forever.
People like you have your head squarely up your a** and are blinded by your vision for the roles of these new toys.
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