Posted on 08/23/2017 5:06:13 PM PDT by EveningStar
“The number one rule of Italian driving: what’s behind me is not important”.
Even our drones have human pilots
I have to agree with you on this one. With the current and future technology, why would we continue to develop manned combat aircraft?
"The era of dogfighting is largely over," Justin Bronk, a research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, told the BBC.
'Dogfight Over Syria: US Fighter Shoots Down Russian-Built Warplane,' June 19, 2017.
"Airplanes are interesting toys, but of no military value." Marshal Ferdinand Foch. July 23, 1960, France launches its second aircraft carrier, ironically named the Foch.
Of the planned 1500, only three will be built: one combat ready, one in the shop, and one for parts. The day before the last one is rolls off the line, some democrat will add an amendment forbidding export; the day after that the plant will be shuttered and the tools broken up and melted. The media will report a total waste of money by Republicans since negotiations are so much cheaper ... as is surrender.
Perfect...forgot those “little” details.
Well, for starters, control lag. Current drones do not go into combat automated - they’re really remotely piloted vehicles and there is a lightspeed delay control lag. Every control input by the remote pilot will have at *least* .25 of a second added before the drone can begin implement the command. .25 of a second is the difference between survival and a dead aircraft.
They also require good telemetry links. You cannot fly a drone into heavy jamming and still have it remain effective.
Because you have to start thinking about and planning these things BEFORE your current tech is out of date.
The pipeline is (ideally) that you have something solid in service, something better being tested, something better than that on the drawing board, and something really far out in the deep black back rooms of R&D.
“If procurement had been as good in WWII”
In WW2 we had many DOZENS of aircraft in development at the same time. The majority of the designs FAILED and were never built. Comparing the complexity of ANY WW2 aircraft to a modern’ fighter is like comparing a Sopwith camel do the space shuttle.
“The last generation of manned combat aircraft is already here.”
Nope. There will have to be manned aircraft at the scene for situational awareness, to give the drones at least high-level commands. Radio comms can be jammed or disrupted.
“I know nothing about military matters, but for some reason I think the thousands of unmanned drone aircraft of the future that could be developed and purchased for the cost of one of these might be more effective.”
That’s not the ratio. Consider that both the range and payload of any aircraft (drone or not) vary with the size of the aircraft. Small drones won’t be able to drop 2,000 lb. bombs, nor will they be able to fly all that far.
Yes but 200 drones with AMRAAM’s have a quality of their own.
There is a certain truth to that. However, 200 targets are required, and it is hard for drones today, to take advantage of targets of opportunity, as their visual sensor window is very narrow.
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