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Pic of a typical military drone cockpit. The pilot is on the left and the Weapons System Officer (WSO) is in the right-hand seat.
This pic is taken from the vantage point of the Mission Commander who sits between and slightly behind the operators. All flight data and comms are saved to DVD.
I'm wondering if the right to bear arms in the US extends to drones, and if so how long before industry cashes in and these start appearing over US skies. There are already concerns about the government using these to spy on citizens and breach their privacy. Am sure those who want fully automatic weapons to fight the oppressive governement will want one or more of these to go as well.
It doesn't. The right to bear arms is limited, the question is how much. You don't see private citizens with M48/M60 Patton tanks or with F-4 Phantoms, do you? Something tells me that the government will not look lightly on private citizens with Predator/Reaper drones and Hellfire missiles
Meddle not in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Abusing Yellow is meant to be a labor of love, not something you sell to the highest bidder.
I'm not sure why you find that picture "jarring", Doppelganger. Is this picture any more so?
The man sitting here, along with his partner, would be able to snuff hundreds of thousands of lives with the turn of a key and the push of a button. As so succinctly pointed out, war is not about fair. Hasn't been, with rare exceptions and examples of mercy or chivalry, for 200+ years.
The guys who fly these things are rated USAF pilots with wings. And I can fairly state that 95% of them would rather be in a real aircraft. But such is the nature of technology and modern warfare that UCAVs are coming on strong, and there'll be little let up in their deployment.
I'm still fond of the thought that somewhere within the GPS system is a guarded switch labeled "GPS Encrypt; Wartime Emergency Use Only." ;)
I'm not sure why you find that picture "jarring", Doppelganger. Is this picture any more so?
Why it has to be the most stuffed chair? To make one feel comfy from releasing the nuke?
I'm still fond of the thought that somewhere within the GPS system is a guarded switch labeled "GPS Encrypt; Wartime Emergency Use Only." ;)
At first I thought it can be the case, but given the number of military assets with installed GPS equipment, it would pose a risk for US military, I have doubts.
There has to be a decoder somewhere and you can't guard ALL the assets all the time.
No such thing as a good tax - Churchill
To make mistakes is human. To blame someone else for your mistake, is strategic.
At first I thought it can be the case, but given the number of military assets with installed GPS equipment, it would pose a risk for US military, I have doubts.
There has to be a decoder somewhere and you can't guard ALL the assets all the time.
Most US military GPS are not commercial-off-the-shelf. The signals sent to civilian units are not the same as mil-only signals, too.
Also, that nuke chair looks almost identical to any 1970s vintage airline seat. AWACS just replaced theirs a couple of years ago.
Why it has to be the most stuffed chair? To make one feel comfy from releasing the nuke?
The Airmen who had the shifts down there had to sit in those things for 24 hours at a stretch, you'd want a comfortable chair, too; they were allowed to get up and walk around, take a nap while the other Airman kept an eye on things, but they couldn't leave the silo until the end of their shift.
"There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge
it is stealthy...when you are not looking at it...
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none; be able for thine enemy rather in power than use; and keep thy friend under thine own life's key; be checked for silence, but never taxed for speech.
There is no fair in war. "Fair" means me and my boys get to go home at the end of it, and everyone that tries to get in our way dies.
Ben is absolutely right DG. The combat mission of the drone flight crew is to 'shape the battlefield' and destroy enemy assets that threaten armored or infantry forces. With a Litening Pod targeting system, the drone can keep track of over 100 different targets simultaneously. An armed drone can engage with its own missiles and/or designate targets (using lasers - known as painting the targets) and work in tandem with other armed air assets. The drone crew can also work with JTAC's (Joint Tactical Air Controllers) embedded with ground forces.
Bottom line, anyone or anything that gets in the way of Ben and his boys will be removed with prejudice.
Originally posted by Officer of EngineersView Post
Really wonder how well drones will work against true AD regiments.
I think that's some years away
at the moment its about being able to use them to render the red teams ground based C4ISR blind, deaf and dumb, and where opportunity arises, delaminating that structure to a dependancy/functional level of choice. (sounds oblique, but look at USAF/USN selectivity in the opening stages of GW1 and GW2 - eg they not only destroyed critical nodes, they shaped how those remaining nodes would further aggravate the capacity of red team to see and respond) It's an electronic version of the killbox
as part of the broader system construct, (high end) UAS intent is detecting, deterring, disrupting, delaminating, destroying red team in a fashion that suits blues mission intent. then there are the current usage models which are about targets of immediate opportunity in a range ring of interest etc....
I reckon they're a few years away from doing that job on their own (AAE) but as for assisting and helping everything else in theatre go in and kill red teams capability, then they can be a pretty good option. 2025-2030 is the period when UAS going mainstream becomes "exciting" Most of the problems for AAE are about the legals.
I've no doubt that the 2025/2030 timeline will be brought forward as well.
Last edited by gf0012-aust; 22 May 13,, 22:25.
Reason: touch typing blindness
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