Pilots Surrender to UAVs...

[FN FAL]

Pilots Surrender to UAVs
by James Dunnigan
January 26, 2006


The U.S. Department of Defense has decided to make the next generation heavy bomber an unmanned aircraft. The Department of Defense also wants the new aircraft in service by the end of the next decade, some twenty years ahead of schedule.

At the same time, the current combat UAV program (J-UCAS, run by the air force and navy) is to be changed as well. The current X45 project will be split up, with the air force and navy allowed to develop a shorter range combat aircraft to suit their particular needs. These will be bombers, with some air-to-air capabilities.

The X45 was meant mainly for those really dangerous bombing missions, early on, when enemy air defenses have to be destroyed. But the Pentagon finally got hip to the fact that the J-UCAS developers were coming up with an aircraft that could replace all current fighter-bombers.

This was partly because of the success of the X45 in reaching its development goals, and the real-world success of the Predator (in finding, and attacking, targets) and Global Hawk (in finding stuff after flying half way around the world by itself.)

The X45 program started out, two years ago, as a DARPA research project. But last Fall, it was taken from DARPA and given to the air force, with orders to move as quickly as possible. At that time, the plan was to build the X45C version and get it through all the tests needed to certify it for combat. At the time, it was thought another four years would be needed to do that. Now, no one is sure it will take that long.

 

[Jafar]

I would be willing to bet that the F/A-22 and F-35 will be the last manned fighters built.

 

[11thHour]

Could you provide the link to the source for this? Thanks.

 

[FN FAL]

http://www.strategypage.com/dls/articles/200612611057.asp

 

[ultrarunner]

I would be willing to bet that the F/A-22 and F-35 will be the last manned fighters built.

Given how long the US military keeps aircraft in it's active fleet, I don't doubt that for a minute.