Air Force Training More Pilots for Drones Than for Manned Planes

washington post ^ | August 11, 2009 | Walter Pincus

[Flavius]

The Air Force will train more pilots to fly unmanned aerial systems from ground operations centers this year than pilots to fly fighter or bomber aircraft, Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz, the commander of Air Education and Training Command, told an audience Friday.

Lorentz's remark illustrates the major transformation occurring within that service. In a Pentagon session last month, Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Will Fraser told reporters that the unmanned systems are "delivering game-changing capabilities today, and ones that I'm confident will continue to be invaluable in the future."

[Flavius]

[cranked]

In a democratic society where going to war or deciding whether to intervene in a conflict is dictated by politics and projected or actual troop casualty numbers, this is nothing more than the foreshadowing of the future of combat.

[GSP.FAN]

We're told of "wonder weapons" the Germans were working on: Long-range rockets, push-button bombing. . . . . .weapons that don't need soldiers. "Wonder weapon"? My God, I don't see the wonder in them. Killing without heroics. Nothing is glorified, nothing is reaffirmed. No heroes, no cowards, no troops. No generals. Only those that are left alive and those that are left. . . . . .dead. I'm glad I won't live to see it.

[BillT]

The future has arrived!

[coconutt2000]

I only have one question.

How old do drones have to be to cast ballots and vote in Presidential elections?

:-)

[ducdriver]

Nobody will win a Silver Star for flying one of these, will he?

[Liberty Valance]

[Jeff Gordon]

Nobody will win a Silver Star for flying one of these, will he?

Is this a bad thing?

[Fractal Trader]

These drones should be taken from the Air Force and given to the Army and Marines. It makes no sense to have commissioned offices as “pilots” when you average teenage game could probably do the job. Instead, the drones are looked at as an officer career track rather than assets that the ground troops desperately need.

[Jeff Gordon]

I worry about the guy that goes to work in the morning in Nevada. Takes control of a UAV in Afghanistan. Kills a bunch of people. Then comes home and has dinner with the wife and kids. Watches American Idol. Goes to bed. Gets up the next day and does it again. This must be a real mind f*ck!

[theFIRMbss]

>The future has arrived!

The future gets here
when bad guys smuggle [build?] drones
here in the US

and incorporate
various drone tactics in
domestic attacks.


-----------------------------------------

The pilot who radioed a desperate, last-minute warning says a plane that struck a helicopter over the Hudson River "looked like a cruise missile hitting a target." ...

[GSP.FAN]

No. but if he flies very well he will get a raise to $12.50 per hour....

[PapaBear3625]

In a democratic society where going to war or deciding whether to intervene in a conflict is dictated by politics and projected or actual troop casualty numbers, this is nothing more than the foreshadowing of the future of combat.

Our advantage against Marxist countries has been our greater ability to spend on weapons. Our weakness was our unwillingness to take lots of casualties. This eliminates that weakness.

[cranked]

Agreed.

[myknowledge]

Wonder weapons such as UAVs won’t replace manned fighters piloted by brave fighter jocks.

Having autonomous unmanned weapons (such as UAVs) like these actually turn war into some kind of sport, not a war for conquest or national survival.

[myknowledge]

To the UAV controller, war is a video game.