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The Unmanned Air Force

Posted by samzenpus on from the fly-the-robotic-skies dept.

coondoggie writes "How important have unmanned aircraft become to the US military? Well how's this: the Air Force says next year it will acquire more unmanned aircraft than manned. Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman Seip this week said the service is 'all in' when it comes to developing unmanned systems and aircraft. 'Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft,' the general said. 'I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of [unmanned aircraft] and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders.'"

3 of 352 comments (clear)

  1. Not surprising by OverlordQ · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I don't have the numbers handy but I'm betting that they can get many unmanned aircraft for the cost of a single manned one.

    --
    Your hair look like poop, Bob! - Wanker.
  2. Wait a second... by DesScorp · · Score: 4, Interesting

    lets see

    1 $400 million dollar F-22

    10 $40 million dollar F-35

    or

    Where are you getting those figures? Your larger point... UAV's are cheap compared to manned fighters... still stands, but your figures for the manned fighters are off significantly. Your F-22 price is waaay to high, and ironically, the price for the F-35 is too low. No one really knows for sure, as Lockheed Martin and the Air Force fudges their financial figures on this, but the most credible figures for an F-22 is between $120 and $140 million a copy (flyaway cost), and at around $87 million per copy for an F-35A.

    Both are wayyy to expensive, but at least the F-22 will do what it promises... dominate air-to-air battles. The F-35 is beginning to look like an expensive pig in a poke. If UAV's can become more and more capable (and stay cheap), you're right in that the trend of replacing some manned missions with unmanned planes will only accelerate.

    --
    Life is hard, and the world is cruel
  3. Very Very Dangerous Ground We Tread Upon by Bruha · · Score: 4, Interesting

    This is about as dangerous as Shinsheki's push for the lighter more mobile Army which was torn to shreds by IED's in Iraq and Afganistan.

    If too much focus is put towards UAV's we'll end up with a manned Air Force that begins to put A2A combat second to UAV combat. What happens when we end up fighting a real war?

    Capitalistic principles have no room in our military, if we cut corners we will someday pay for it.