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o me, there's a good chance that the F-22 and the JSF will be the LAST piloted strike aircraft.

I keep seeing this opinion being forwarded, and I still don't understand what you folks are basing it on. It is just a ridiculous notion.

Personally I am thinking how mission planning and execution would improve **IF**, as a logical evolution, the 'armed Predator' were available in a higher-speed, more weapons-variable, more survivable platform. [who needs a crewed platform orbiting the battlefield, patrolling a kill-box when a SUITABLE UCAV could put guided munitions on target?]

I do NOT believe we can take a human out of the cockpit of an ait-to-air mission, or out of a close air support mission; at least not for YEARS. The F-22 has a long life ahead of it to secure air superiority and supremacy, to win air-to-air engagement, to provide some air-to-mud. The A-10 or its eventual replacement (the Marines like the F-18D) will always have a manned mission if you ask me.

Now, just to gig you a little -- I presume from your name you are a former zoomie ... is your preference for people in the cockpit just *slightly* colored by your perspective? ;-)

I DO firmly believe that advances in systems, targeting etc etc put a crew in the B-2 for no apparent reason.

p.s. just read your "manifesto" re-published by CongressmanBillieBob. Congrats on your service in the Navy. My father was a first a Marine pilot and then a Navy aviator. My mom was a WAVE, my bro a Ranger. I was NPQ due to a back injury. Thanks for serving. I wish I could have.

I've never flown anything faster than about 135 KIAS, or with more than four cylinders, or even above FL10. So you can bust me. ;-)

Just so ya know, I never want you guys to leave the front cockpit and let the 'computer' land our fully loaded 737 at LaGuardia with a 25 knot crosswind component. I see certain military missions as tailor-made for advanced UCAVs, other well-suited for piloted aircraft.

It's well known that it costs lots of time and lots of money to train a fighter pilot. It takes actual air combat to separate the aces from the skeet- and statistically, those are the only two divisions.
During WWII, both Japan and Germany had large numbers of first-line fighters at the close of the war. What they ran out of was skilled pilots.
Unmanned vehicles will allow us to fly extremely high-risk missions while protecting those expensive pilots from harm.
Also remember, a pilotless vehicle can pull a lot more Gs in a dogfight without danger of the pilot blacking out. And the weight of the pilot and his support systems can be replaced with extra fuel and weapons stores.