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To: DiogenesLamp
Better range, better payload, smaller signature, can employ moves that would kill a human, cheaper, faster and more deadly.

See "Gottlos" by Colin Kapp. Unmanned aircraft will not work in a high-threat jamming environment. Even relatively unmaneuverable (hence, low bandwidth required for maneuver commands) UAVs like Predator and Global Hawk are absolutely saturating satellite links, and it will just get worse.

I think of it this way: If our adversaries had the potential for a lagging, bandwidth-limited control loop for UAVs, or manned fighters, which would I prefer to go up against? I'd rather fight the UAVs - no contest. And if you think that AIs/Autonomy will provide an unmanned aircraft with the same capability as a human-in-the-loop then you haven't tried to work the problem. Perhaps "in the year 2525, if mankind still survives."

There is one caveat to that: Line of sight from an aerial platform. In essence, an air-to-air missile is a line-of-sight UAV, and they work well. If your notional "unmanned fighter" is within line of sight of a 'mother ship' (which becomes, of course, a priority target), then future narrow-beam control links (e.g. lasers) might - repeat, might be able to beat jamming. Probably not. After all, you can jam a laser beam with a cloud of smoke, but perhaps something could be invented.

Of course, the mother ship wouldn't last long . . .
18 posted on 05/22/2018 6:43:46 AM PDT by Phlyer
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To: Phlyer

Roger that. And if someone has a quantum leap in technology and is able to hack our UAVs and use them against us, that would be a problem. Can’t do that to human pilot.

I hope Bibi is sharing intel with us about how the F-35 is doing against the S-400.


23 posted on 05/22/2018 7:15:08 AM PDT by afsnco (18 of 20 in AF JAG)
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To: Phlyer

A few hundred Small UAVs flying 100 feet off the ground each with 1/2 pound of RDX saturating an airfield with parked planes would turn those multi million dollar aircraft into junk inside of 15 minutes.

Just saying.

L


24 posted on 05/22/2018 7:19:57 AM PDT by Lurker (President Trump isn't our last chance. President Trump is THEIR last chance.)
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To: Phlyer

Have you been seeing the articles about deploying drone swarms from fighters?


25 posted on 05/22/2018 7:28:55 AM PDT by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: Phlyer; All
"And if you think that AIs/Autonomy will provide an unmanned aircraft with the same capability as a human-in-the-loop then you haven't tried to work the problem."

You should read this:
http://magazine.uc.edu/editors_picks/recent_features/alpha.html

Not only was Lee not able to score a kill against ALPHA after repeated attempts, he was shot out of the air every time during protracted engagements in the simulator.
...
In fact, ALPHA can take in the entirety of sensor data, organize it, create a complete mapping of a combat scenario and make or change combat decisions for a flight of four fighter aircraft in less than a millisecond. Basically, the AI is so fast that it could consider and coordinate the best tactical plan and precise responses, within a dynamic environment, over 250 times faster than ALPHA’s human opponents could blink.
There will have to be human piloted aircraft in the area for executive decisions, but AI based UCAVs will be flying within a decade. The F-35 was designed as a "pilot-optional" aircraft.
35 posted on 05/22/2018 11:11:19 AM PDT by PreciousLiberty (Make America Greater Than Ever!)
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