The Air Force wants to dump Global Hawk, which can stay on station for 24 hours, and is pilot-less, to keep using a fifty-year old airframe that requires highly specialized and trained pilot and can only stay on station half the time of the Global Hawk. Can someone tell me how this is more mission and cost effective?
You will understand that this IS "more mission and cost effective" if you realize that the real mission of the Air Force is to provide "flying time" for its "fighter jocks" (who also fill a majority of the command ranks and many members of the civilian side of the aviation "military-industrial complex"). Nothing else.
This is the same reason they are dumping the "Warthog" (NOT the source of my moniker...that was the 60's cartoon character....but I greatly admire both the aircraft and its pilots). The "fighter jocks" HATE ground support missions, which "really" should be turned over to the Army (and Marines).
There are two Avaition Week links post number#3