Future Navy toys

ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
@Singlemalt
Don't want to crap up Neo's thread with this, but you seem interested in the topic;

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wired.com/2011/06/killer-drone-secret-history/amp/

Read the article and you'll discover some amazing things about just how wasteful American defense spending is. For example, the Air Force killed their drone program because they wanted to protect their F-22 and F-35 named fighter programs- even if they were to be rendered obsolete by the new unmanned combat air vehicles!
 
Singlemalt

Singlemalt

Well-Known Member
ttystikk said:
@Singlemalt
Don't want to crap up Neo's thread with this, but you seem interested in the topic;

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wired.com/2011/06/killer-drone-secret-history/amp/

Read the article and you'll discover some amazing things about just how wasteful American defense spending is. For example, the Air Force killed their drone program because they wanted to protect their F-22 and F-35 named fighter programs- even if they were to be rendered obsolete by the new unmanned combat air vehicles!
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Interesting article, thanks. Example of the wasteful mindset, The AF was been wanting to kill the A-10 for 30 yrs, going so far as to declare that the Raptor could easily do the A-10 mission. Obviously a desperate lie, but intended to talk up the Raptor.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
tip top toker said:
They wanted to protect it, or the manufacturers wanted to protect it?
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The Air Force really wants to preserve its 'solo scarf' traditions of having love bodies in the aircraft. Also, a service's prestige is determined at least in part by the dollars spent to support it. The more, the better!

If this strikes you as nonsensical and counterproductive to the larger mission of effective defense at least cost, then we are very much on the same page.

It goes without saying that the defense companies want larger contracts and fighter planes cost more than drones.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
Singlemalt said:
Interesting article, thanks. Example of the wasteful mindset, The AF was been wanting to kill the A-10 for 30 yrs, going so far as to declare that the Raptor could easily do the A-10 mission. Obviously a desperate lie, but intended to talk up the Raptor.
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I think the A-10 Warthog is a great example of an aircraft that is the best of its kind for the mission.
 
greg nr

greg nr

Well-Known Member
The principal asset of a high speed combat aircraft is also it's biggest liability. The pilot.

It's agility at speed is largely limited by the g forces the human body can take, but it's still the case that eyes and minds make much better decisions in real life.

I haven't seen the highest tech drone pilot stations, but the ones I did see weren't that impressive. They would be useless in a dog fight situation. They are meant to take off, fly a course, take pictures or drop a payload on a ground target, and land.

Fighter drones better have a lot of bandwidth that can't be jammed........
 
jonsnow399

jonsnow399

Well-Known Member
greg nr said:
The principal asset of a high speed combat aircraft is also it's biggest liability. The pilot.

It's agility at speed is largely limited by the g forces the human body can take, but it's still the case that eyes and minds make much better decisions in real life.

I haven't seen the highest tech drone pilot stations, but the ones I did see weren't that impressive. They would be useless in a dog fight situation. They are meant to take off, fly a course, take pictures or drop a payload on a ground target, and land.

Fighter drones better have a lot of bandwidth that can't be jammed........
Click to expand...
Dogfighting is obsolete, pilots don't usually get a visual on the enemy. No need for bandwidth, AI will make all decisions, and faster than any pilot could.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
jonsnow399 said:
Dogfighting is obsolete, pilots don't usually get a visual on the enemy. No need for bandwidth, AI will make all decisions, and faster than any pilot could.
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I agree with the caveat that humans are still more creative and unpredictable. Both traits can be decisive in warfare.
 
ttystikk

ttystikk

Well-Known Member
greg nr said:
The principal asset of a high speed combat aircraft is also it's biggest liability. The pilot.

It's agility at speed is largely limited by the g forces the human body can take, but it's still the case that eyes and minds make much better decisions in real life.

I haven't seen the highest tech drone pilot stations, but the ones I did see weren't that impressive. They would be useless in a dog fight situation. They are meant to take off, fly a course, take pictures or drop a payload on a ground target, and land.

Fighter drones better have a lot of bandwidth that can't be jammed........
Click to expand...
They're designed to be autonomous. The chilling implication is that they'll make the kill/no kill decisions based on algorithms rather than direct commands.

Doesn't that make you feel safer already?
 
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