Well, I am thinking that the US does not want to be buying these a lot. I also believe that absent the SR-71 type speed, there will be a point in time where it will be detectable and then will be vulnerable. Without that speed, the shoot down potiential is much higher as it would only be able to rely on it’s stealth capability to keep from being detected. That strategy sounds very much like the U@ spy plane and we know how that ended.
Being able to shoot down incoming anti aircraft missles will allow for it to have a much longer usability envelope.
Well, I am thinking that the US does not want to be buying these a lot. I also believe that absent the SR-71 type speed, there will be a point in time where it will be detectable and then will be vulnerable. Without that speed, the shoot down potiential is much higher as it would only be able to rely on it’s stealth capability to keep from being detected. That strategy sounds very much like the U@ spy plane and we know how that ended.
Being able to shoot down incoming anti aircraft missles will allow for it to have a much longer usability envelope.
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BTW: U2s are still flying missions; they didn’t end.
If you had read the article u would have learned that the (EQ) RQ-180 will have the ability to call on other resources to defend itself like hyper missiles launched from a ship thousands of miles away. Why carry defensive armament when you can call in defensive missiles that will arrive in minutes or less on a well defined target before the target knows it has a problem?
Every thing is a trade off, u want low detectability, survivability, and exotic comm gear, then speed and onboard missiles or lasers begin to compromise the purpose and mission.
Everything on a battlefield is vulnerable at some point - you must also imagine there is only one of these drones present.
The SR-71 was not designed to loiter miles above a battlefield while communication enemy locations, dispositions, and threat types to multiply platforms (ships, drones, planes, ground, stations, and forces) in real time. Nor was the SR-71 stealthy - just fast.