U-2 retirement in 2026

[Griz882]

"sensor to watch floor, to supervisor, to chat, to asset, to broadcast, to operator"

My armchair general take is that the faster information hits higher headquarters the more those “echelons above” leaders will be tempted to take tactical decisions when their mission is theater strategic. Basically the opposite of the “strategic corporal” and more “four star company commander.”

 

[Swanee]

I'm also curious in the unmanned community how "exercising commander's intent" or in VP world "Mission commander's discretion" goes when you have phone call access on a watch floor to a higher up for time critical decisions. Basically, do we lose the "let the aviator make the decision they feel they need to in the moment and then answer for it postflight if necessary" though process? Are the unmanned seat riders less empowered or entrusted with less responsibility or authority like in a regular manned aircraft?

It depends on the AOR and what's going on. Sometimes we get autonomy. Sometimes we get driven fairly hard. 99% of the time they're just watching- the aircrews and the JTACs are making the decisions.

FWIW, manned assets that do what we do are also expected to be on strike bridge with the JTAC/JOC for certain missions.

It's tough to go into further details here.

 

[ChuckMK23]

This is the future we are all waiting for! Palmer Luckey hits h a r d !!! @Swanee is in this video somewhere...

2.4K reactions · 334 shares | Thunder: The New Era of Attack Aviation | Anduril Industries

Thunder: The New Era of Attack Aviation

www.facebook.com

 

[Waveoff]

I’ve thought about the idea that once you get the asset overhead, the operator controls it. The JTAC actually drives the asset, maybe in broad terms that the asset turns into detailed maneuvers.

The tech will be there to execute.

I mean more in the ideas of an platform that is detecting things and relaying information to the surrounding personnel, not necessarily a shooter.

Things like that baffle me when they want to do things like cancel the E-7 for a space system, and recently the EP-3. I don't trust that I'm going to be fed the right information in a timely manner because it has to go through a distributed architecture before a radio call is made. Hoping that it doesn't actually work that way if it comes to it.

 

[Swanee]

I mean more in the ideas of an platform that is detecting things and relaying information to the surrounding personnel, not necessarily a shooter.

Things like that baffle me when they want to do things like cancel the E-7 for a space system, and recently the EP-3. I don't trust that I'm going to be fed the right information in a timely manner because it has to go through a distributed architecture before a radio call is made. Hoping that it doesn't actually work that way if it comes to it.

Just so I know how to frame the answer to this one: how recent is your tactical experience?

Well, fuck it. I'll try anyway.

MQ-9s, P-8s, U-28s, and the rest of the other (sometimes armed) ISR letter-number airplanes that I'm not sure I can mention here, are in the business of sniffing around for farts and telling other people that they smell poop so those people don't get crapped on. We're really good at it. No one in the chain is purposely inserting themselves in order to ensure they get to take the decision from the people who need to make it. In fact, I've seen leadership say, "this isn't my decision to make, it's the PICs...." more than once.

 

[Peekskill1941]

My armchair general take is that the faster information hits higher headquarters the more those “echelons above” leaders will be tempted to take tactical decisions when their mission is theater strategic. Basically the opposite of the “strategic corporal” and more “four star company commander.”

100% have seen this in action.

Also, back when Gen CQ Brown was PACAF and ADM Aquilino was PACFLT, I saw him verbally try to get him off that mindset.

It failed.

With that said, I don't think it's a good reason to avoid getting better and better sensors with more real time information. That's a failure of leadership, not a failure of technology.