Flying UAVs

[Gatordev]

For what it's worth, the UAVs down at Chocktaw were taking fire the other day. No, really, they were. The threat is out there........

 

[Brett327]

Oh jeez... yeah, you hit on a few good points, but it's throwing out a lot of A/A-related ideas without realizing what the real limitations here are.

What about EA? What about SAM rings? What about fighter escort for strikes? What if your radar breaks? What if the E-2 goes down? What happens if the bad guy is hiding behind a mountain (as Heyjoe mentioned, it's done every time in Fallon)? What if an Airbus wanders into the no-fly zone? What if your transponder goes down (happened to the Blackhawk in question)? What if your interrogator goes down?

These assumptions all rely on the idea that A/A is some sort of a sterile environment just because we've got AMRAAMs and radar and gucci sh!t.

Exactly. Armed Recce is one thing, A/A (or strike warfare in general) is a completely different ball game.

Brett

 

[TurnandBurn55]

For what it's worth, the UAVs down at Chocktaw were taking fire the other day. No, really, they were. The threat is out there........

What if you have a bunch of rednecks with shotguns?? What do you do then? Whaddaya do??

 

[Goober]

For what it's worth, the UAVs down at Choctaw were taking fire the other day. No, really, they were. The threat is out there........

Hey, my relatives back home heard they were good eatin'. Lay off 'em, will ya?

 

[Gatordev]

Mmmm....UAVs....

 

[DirtyShirt]

It could almost be argued that cargo and tanker planes would be a lot easier to switch over,

Sure. It just depends on if you would be willing to take a ride into a hot LZ on a plane that has no pilot.

As far as cargo and tanker aircraft being the first to go, I'd disagree with cargo certainly and partially agree on the tanker. Cargo will likely never go unmanned simply because any cargo aircraft needs to also be able to transport people. If it's going to transport people then it needs pressurization systems, heating and cooling, and oxygen systems. If you're going to have all that - and be hauling people - you might as well have humans onboard to at least "monitor" the flying of the aircraft. Plus people will be less likely to want to fly on an aircraft flown by an operator that doesn't have as vested an interest in landing safely. A cargo UAV could be developed, I suppose, for hauling equipment into really hot LZs but I don't see that happening, either.

Agreed. Plus UAVs can't do an assault for shit.