http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/ucav-pics.htm
Posted on 11/28/2005 12:10:08 PM PST by BenLurkin
The next generation of unmanned weapons systems entered a new phase this fall with the transition of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems, or J-UCAS, program from the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, to a joint Air Force-Navy management team. The program is intended to develop and test the technologies necessary to field fleets of unmanned aircraft capable of operating on their own to attack and shut down enemy air defenses.
The full effect of the transition is not yet known, as funding and program decisions remain to be settled with the fiscal year 2007 budget.
Created in 2003, the program merged the separate efforts under way with the Air Force and Navy to develop their own unmanned weapons systems into one joint-service effort under the management of DARPA.
The Defense Department agency was already a partner in both unmanned combat aerial vehicle programs.
At the time, the Air Force and The Boeing Co. were well into development of the X-45A technology demonstrator.
The program merger allowed for funding to continue that effort with a larger, "C" model of the vehicle.
On the Navy side, Northrop Grumman Corp. had built and flown the kite-shaped X-47A, designed for use off an aircraft carrier.
(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...
I wonder if this is the reason why we didn't fund more airframes for the B-1-B , the JSF , and the F-22 Programs ? Because those who are in the know, knew that manned airplanes future was limited and is coming to a close and wanted to put that funding into projects like this were the future is going ?
I meant in my post, not the B-1-B , but the B-2 airframe.
Manned everything on the battlefield has a limited future. It will be interesting to see if this increases war since there will be no human political cost, or decreases war due to no serious competition. It could break either way.
At this point, as long as we have the advantage of non manned war, we will still have that edge, and our adversaries and enemies still wage war with humans, but, we don't know how long that will last, so, I think, if will prevent war with those countries and enemies who have some commonsense.
self ping
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