Message posted by Andre' M. Dall'au on February 22, 2001 at 05:47:27 EST:
Andrew,
as you know the military has been saying for decades that "this is the last generation of manned warplanes", and every time they have found that nothing can replace an excellent aviator flying a good aircraft ALL THE TIME. UCAV's were used EXTENSIVELY for recce in Vietnam, flying tens of thousands of hours, but still couldn't replace the manned RF-4's, RF-8's and SR-71's. The UCAV's will have a place in the inventory, and over high risk targets, should be used, but for the flexibitity, the ability to make quality judgements, and the instant adaptability of a well trained pilot, nothing will totally remove the seat from all combat aircraft. Not all military operations are executed with the digital precision of a microprocessor, and the cry is always heard "it could have been done with machine MUCH better". True. Sometimes. Not Always. The goal of having an Air Force that it's pilots never leave the ground has been a dream for some and a nightmare for others. I personally would like to see fewer pilots go in harm's way, but nothing will ever replace the deterrance of an highly trained pilot flying a state of the art warplane. I know you will agree.
In Reply to: Re: New Northrup UCAV posted by Magoo on February 21, 2001 at 16:52:55 EST:
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