POSISTION PAPER
ON
WHY REMOTELY PILOTED AIRCRAFT SHOULD NOT REPLACE MANNED AIRCRAFT
1. The purpose of this paper is to inform readers on why remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) should not replace manned aircraft, specifically fighter aircraft in the United States Air Force. This paper will go over the pros and cons in regards to not replacing manned military fighter aircraft with RPAs followed by a definitive answer as to why manned aircraft are here to stay.
2. Manned fighter aircraft are cheaper to operate than RPAs. The cost for one MQ-9 Reaper unit is $30.2 million in 2012 currency; the cost of an F-16 is $27.2 million.1 Manned aircraft are able to get to a combat zone or to another location faster than an RPA. In addition to speed,
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The main reason that manned fighter aircraft will not be replaced by RPAs is due to situational awareness. A delay on the video feed for an RPA ranges from two to five seconds and creates an imperfect situational awareness for the operator.7 A pilot sitting in the seat of an aircraft will be able to observe, orient, decide, and act in real time and without hesitation. The two to five second delay could be the difference in life or death for troops on the ground. RPAs also have a narrow field of view which can decrease the survivability of the aircraft. An RPA pilot has little situational awareness as to what is happening around the aircraft. This inhibits the pilot in knowing if there is a nearby threat and how to respond.8 Manned aircraft platforms will always be necessary in the military. General Mark Welsh stated, “Air superiority is a mission. It’s not a platform, is a mission. So ideally, you’d have both tools available to you.”9 Although RPAs are a valuable asset, the military will still have a need for all platforms in the future.
5. This paper discussed the pros and cons of why RPAs will not replace manned aircraft, specifically fighter aircraft. Also covered was the main point that defined why manned aircraft will not be replaced by
In today’s world, the use of airplanes in wars or in everyday life has become a part of how we live as human beings. Removing the air forces of the world is like taking a step back in time when wars were only fought on land or sea. WWI began only eleven short years after the Wright brothers achieved powered flight in 19031 and yet aircrafts were being used for surveillance and eventually combat purposes. It is understood that these aircrafts were primitive, but they laid down the foundation for what we know today as fighter jets. The Fokker Eindecker “revolutionized air combat by successfully employing a synchronized forward -firing machine gun mounted on the engine cowling”2. Because this airplane became the first to successfully use a synchronized machine gun, it allowed its pilots to become the first aerial combat tactitions3.
POSITION PAPER ON THE AIR FORCE DISBANDING INTO A SEPARATE AIR FORCE AND SPACE FORCE 1. What is the difference between a. and a. This Position Paper is on the idea that the Air Force should disband into a separate Air Force and Space Force. This paper will go over three things: the pros and cons of doing this, and it will back up the notion that it is a good idea after all to disband into separate entities. 2.
...ferent aircraft in teams. Together, it is very hard to detect, deny, and destroy these fighters. Maybe there should be an equal investment across multiple platforms so that the threat the U.S. possess is less likely to be contested when conducting operations.
The faults within the Hercules missile system identified a vital need for an interceptor capable of missile defense while maintaining a shield against high-performance aircraft. One system has proven itself above all others in the realm of anti-ballistic missile (ABM) and air breathing threat (ABT) defense; that system is the PATRIOT. Throughout the PATRIOT’s history, it has proven to be a serious heavyweight contender in the worldwide air defense community.
Topicality: With advancements in surveillance technologies, drones have become a popular surveillance tool used by the FBI. Drones are small aerial vehicles that are unmanned and can carry cameras, microphones and tracking devices. They can even carry chips that mimic cellphone towers and collect data from your cell phone. These drones have no regulations, so you never know when or where the FBI could be watching you. The new White House memo requires government agencies to develop clear rules to protect americans privacy.
First conceived during Cold War as airframe to vie with the Soviet aircraft that was never built F-22 is touted by the manufacturer Lockheed Martin as best overall combat plane in this world not to mention most expensive. It can shoot down the enemy cruise missiles, fly some long distances at the supersonic speeds and avoid nearly all type of the radar detection. But Senate debate over whether to build the seven more at taxpayer cost of around $1.67 billion eventually came down to plane’s job-creating abilities. The axed project would employ around 25,000 Americans.
The future of the aerospace industry will involve gradual changes in the near term, with the prospect of more radical shifts in the decades t...
Air and space are an indivisible field of operations. ”3 Current space technologies are essential for communication, surveillance, guidance, intelligence and the worldwide networking needed by the Air Force to complete its mission It has proven to be effective thus far. They work seamlessly together to accomplish their shared goals. The Air Force, Army, and the Navy work together and share the use of assets often, however proponents of a unified Air and Space Force fear that stripping the command of space assets from the Air Force would cripple the it’s ability to use GPS guided missiles and drones in the way it does today. The Air Force believes the centralized control of aerospace is the only logical way to achieve synergy between air and space commands.
Due to its unique nature and extreme operating environments, military aviation depends less on a specific regulatory framework and more on mission capability. They take a risk based approach and have the flexibility to fly aircraft even when they are at times un-airworthy. In contrast to civil aviation activities, where their objective is primarily focused on the safe and efficient transport of people. Throughout time, military aviation organisations have placed a higher priority on achieving mission objectives, and less so on the preservation of the material assets. Nevertheless, the ADF’s aviation safety regulations have also evolved through
However, it is evident that the implementation of these specialized aviation units has enabled Delta Force to execute its missions with much more accuracy. America’s ability to reach out and touch someone has come a long way since the failed mission of Operation Eagle Claw. Ignoring the political side of things, it is very comforting to know that such a precision instrument exists. “You guys are the meanest and ugliest fuckers I’ve met in my life. But I love you. You guys saved my life and I’m eternally, eternally grateful…So long, guys.” (Kurt Muse)
The United States of America is a powerful and well known force throughout the world. It has become a superpower of nations in just about three hundred years, being one of the newest nations in existence today. Its military reaches out into several countries in the globe and holds a presence as a peacekeeper and wielder of democracy. Of the US military’s five branches, the Air Force is the ruler of the skies, keeping control of the earth’s aerospace. Without the Air Force Special Operations, the military could not complete operations as effectively or efficiently as it potentially could. The United States Air Force is a key part of America’s mission to spread and assist democracy throughout the world.
One of the latest and most controversial topics that has risen over the past five to ten years is whether or not drones should be used as a means of war, surveillance, and delivery systems. Common misconceptions usually lead to people’s opposition to the use of drones; which is the reason it is important for people to know the facts about how and why they are used. Wartime capabilities will provide for less casualties and more effective strikes. New delivery and surveillance systems in Africa, the United Air Emirates and the United States will cut costs and increase efficiency across the board. Rules and regulations on drones may be difficult to enforce, but will not be impossible to achieve. The use of drones as weapons of war and delivery and surveillance systems should not be dismissed because many people do not realize the real capabilities of drones and how they can be used to better the world through efficient air strikes, faster delivery times, and useful surveillance.
... problem are under constant development and analysis, in a hope to avoid these situations. The civilian industry continues to lead in development due to commercialization, with the military not far behind. The only real deficiency in CRM program development seems to be the area of general aviation as described earlier. Until this problem is addressed, there will still be a glaring weakness in the general area of aviation safety. However, with the rate of technology increase and cheaper methods of instruction, we should begin to see this problem addressed in the near future. Until then, aviation will rely on civil commercial aviation the military to continue research and program development for the years to come, hopefully resulting in an increasingly safe method of travel and recreation.
Tice, Brian P. (1991). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – The Force Multiplier of the 1990s. Airpower Journal.
The future has a good outlook for new technology in the military. Many possibilities include the unmanned war, where all the fighting will be done by robots and computers. Other possibilities include, space travel, new fuels, vehicles, and more.