Combat UAV to replace pilots?

[Insomniac]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...069_air07.html

I don't know about you guys, but I see some serious competition here.

[canoe]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/busine...069_air07.html

I don't know about you guys, but I see some serious competition here.

I think sooner or later (probably sooner for the U.S) its going to happen where UAV's will take over some of the air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles from human pilots. However I think humans pilots will always have a place as theres certain functions they can preform very well that the UAV's can't do.

What I could see is a wing of UCAV's being escorted by a manned two seater fighter that would perform the target evaluation for them and simply give out the 'shoot' or 'don't shoot' permissions for air and ground targets.

Personally I think in the staight up air-to-air combat role the UCAV's will do it better then humans, they react faster and arn't affected anywhere near as much by G forces and have absolutely no fear of death.

The new Preditors have already proven to be pretty good at firing hellfires...

[Insomniac]

I think sooner or later (probably sooner for the U.S) its going to happen where UAV's will take over some of the air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles from human pilots. However I think humans pilots will always have a place as theres certain functions they can preform very well that the UAV's can't do.

What I could see is a wing of UCAV's being escorted by a manned two seater fighter that would perform the target evaluation for them and simply give out the 'shoot' or 'don't shoot' permissions for air and ground targets.

Personally I think in the staight up air-to-air combat role the UCAV's will do it better then humans, they react faster and arn't affected anywhere near as much by G forces and have absolutely no fear of death.

The new Preditors have already proven to be pretty good at firing hellfires...

Do you think the guy who wrote that movie "Stealth" was on to something?

[canoe]

Do you think the guy who wrote that movie "Stealth" was on to something?

Probably, but that was a bit to holywoodish for me to handle ;)

AI software is nowhere near as intelligent as that movie portrays, the AI flying an aircraft probably has more in common with off the shelf PC flight simulator software then it does some sophisticated sentient AI that learns through experience.

[Jimmy]

I think sooner or later (probably sooner for the U.S) its going to happen where UAV's will take over some of the air-to-air and air-to-ground combat roles from human pilots. However I think humans pilots will always have a place as theres certain functions they can preform very well that the UAV's can't do.

What I could see is a wing of UCAV's being escorted by a manned two seater fighter that would perform the target evaluation for them and simply give out the 'shoot' or 'don't shoot' permissions for air and ground targets.

Personally I think in the staight up air-to-air combat role the UCAV's will do it better then humans, they react faster and arn't affected anywhere near as much by G forces and have absolutely no fear of death.

The new Preditors have already proven to be pretty good at firing hellfires...

You forget who runs the Air Force...

Maybe UAVs will take over the bulk of flying ops, but I dont think it will be sooner.