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[winos5]

I dont think we are going to see the end of the aviator in our lifetimes. I was watching a documentary on the Future of Air Combat and they were suggesting drones could be used to be a distraction for enemy SAMs so the actual attack could target the radars and blow them to hell. Was a neat 2 hour documentary on the history channel. Had what I felt to be a few pieces of silliness but oh well.

I agree with the 1st sentance, but I think the role of drones and remotely piloted aircraft will do nothing but expand.

 

[BigPete]

I agree with the 1st sentance, but I think the role of drones and remotely piloted aircraft will do nothing but expand.

When the Air Force decided to use actual commissioned pilots to control the UAVs it was pretty obvious where they were going. I still think it is funny that the Army uses lower enlisted troops to control its UAVs.



I don't like the idea of a remote controlled vehicle providing close air support though. A pilot in the bird can communicate with forces on the ground to better ID friendlies than a camera and sensor package with a guy watching on a 40 in. plasma ever can. The field of view is WAY better in person. Unless they change that aspect and add additional cameras and full motion video feeds to support that bird's remote pilots, manned aircraft wins every time in my mind.



I know A LOT about UAVs. I have flown them, recovered them, planned and analyzed missions, and know a great deal about what is being used today.

 

[bubbleheadchief]

When the Air Force decided to use actual commissioned pilots to control the UAVs it was pretty obvious where they were going. I still think it is funny that the Army uses lower enlisted troops to control its UAVs.



I don't like the idea of a remote controlled vehicle providing close air support though. A pilot in the bird can communicate with forces on the ground to better ID friendlies than a camera and sensor package with a guy watching on a 40 in. plasma ever can. The field of view is WAY better in person. Unless they change that aspect and add additional cameras and full motion video feeds to support that bird's remote pilots, manned aircraft wins every time in my mind.



I know A LOT about UAVs. I have flown them, recovered them, planned and analyzed missions, and know a great deal about what is being used today.

These reasons right here are why I am against the whole "computerized, remotley operated warfighter" regardless of platform (air land or sea).

 

[BigPete]

These reasons right here are why I am against the whole "computerized, remotley operated warfighter" regardless of platform (air land or sea).

Right, and here is the real thing to consider:



Who wins the war? The team whose robots kills all of the other team's robots or the the team whose robots kills all of the other team's enemy combatants? One seems silly unless the fight has rules like Napoleonic warfare did and the other just seems cruel and inhumane. If I am going to kill a man for unit and country, you better believe I owe it to them to look them in the eye as I do it. Maybe that is the ground soldier in me talking (I never fired a shot in anger remotely or in close proximity).

 

[bubbleheadchief]

Right, and here is the real thing to consider:



Who wins the war? The team whose robots kills all of the other team's robots or the the team whose robots kills all of the other team's enemy combatants? One seems silly unless the fight has rules like Napoleonic warfare did and the other just seems cruel and inhumane. If I am going to kill a man for unit and country, you better believe I owe it to them to look them in the eye as I do it. Maybe that is the ground soldier in me talking (I never fired a shot in anger remotely or in close proximity).

Before this gets turned into a totally different tangent, which that first question can and will, watch. The highlighted statement is the key/crux of it. During WWI, submarines were considered a dasterdly and evil way of conducting warfare. Hell the way our forefathers conducted warfare during the Revolution was considered unseemly and unmanly....you were supposed to stand there in tightly packed firing lines shooting volleys at each other.



What i was thinking with my statement though was, a computer or ROV/UAV will only see the target and recognize it as an enemy combatant, where as a human operator will see that it/he/she is already wounded and no longer a threat and go on to the next target. Yeah I know, odds are that the kill shot will still be taken by the human, but at least the thought is, they can make that choice, where as, a computer operated ROV/UAV wont.

 

[BigPete]

Before this gets turned into a totally different tangent, which that first question can and will, watch. The highlighted statement is the key/crux of it. During WWI, submarines were considered a dasterdly and evil way of conducting warfare. Hell the way our forefathers conducted warfare during the Revolution was considered unseemly and unmanly....you were supposed to stand there in tightly packed firing lines shooting volleys at each other.



What i was thinking with my statement though was, a computer or ROV/UAV will only see the target and recognize it as an enemy combatant, where as a human operator will see that it/he/she is already wounded and no longer a threat and go on to the next target. Yeah I know, odds are that the kill shot will still be taken by the human, but at least the thought is, they can make that choice, where as, a computer operated ROV/UAV wont.

Oh, you're talking automation...Terminator type stuff. I don't even want to go there. But I get your point, completely.

 

[winos5]

IMO opinion the supremacy the US military has enjoyed the last 50 years or so can be linked directly to technological superiority and the quality of the people serving (education, training, integrity, patriotism ect...).



I think drones/umanned/remote vehicles are fast becoming the superior technology while protecting the biggest asset the military has (soldiers).

 

[BigPete]

Agreed Wino, and that is mostly due to socio/economic investments made in partnership with the government and many large and small defense/tech firms.



So give a soldier or defense contractor a hug today! lol

 

[supraman]

Agreed Wino, and that is mostly due to socio/economic investments made in partnership with the government and many large and small defense/tech firms.



So give a soldier or defense contractor a hug today! lol

So not hugging you Pete.

 

[JOVE23]

Right, and here is the real thing to consider:



Who wins the war? The team whose robots kills all of the other team's robots or the the team whose robots kills all of the other team's enemy combatants?

There was a Star Trek episode about this.

 

[BigPete]

So not hugging you Pete.

**** you then. I am so not staying at your house next time I visit Florida. You're sad, I can tell. It's okay, let it out.

 

[supraman]

**** you then. I am so not staying at your house next time I visit Florida. You're sad, I can tell. It's okay, let it out.

Wait were you going to bring prostitutes with you?

 

[IceHogsFan]

If you had the ability to install any air-to-air missile on your plane of choice, which would you go into combat with, and why?

Not an air to air missile but a bomb is what I would rather have. Here she is, meet Daisy Cutter.

 

[BigPete]

Wait were you going to bring prostitutes with you?

Will Fem-bots work? I know some people at DARPA and I think they have spares.

 

[supraman]

Will Fem-bots work? I know some people at DARPA and I think they have spares.

Do i have to pay them to have sex with me?

 

[MassHavoc]

Could you find out more about the rifle and Luger? What models, condition, appraised value, who 'owns' them now? I would be really interested in acquiring them.

Last appraisal on the Luger was about $750 I think or something like that. Doesn't matter they are both not going anywhere. If anyone is getting them it's me.

 

[BigPete]

Last appraisal on the Luger was about $750 I think or something like that. Doesn't matter they are both not going anywhere. If anyone is getting them it's me.

Cool. Thanks for the response though.

 

[MassHavoc]

Cool. Thanks for the response though.

That was 10-15 years ago on the appraisal so who knows, I don't even know what they are suppsoed to go for, as far as i know they are in good shape, although over the past 10 years or so they probably haven't been touched which probably isn't doing them any good. I'm not as good as being polite like BHC when telling you to pound sand! haha. I honestly don't know much about them other than he got the Luger off a bank guard or manager or something like that, when the liberated the bank. My favorite story from my grandpa has the line "We didn't rob the bank, we just took all the money. There was a big hole in the wall and it was all worthless anyway." haha I wish I knew more about both guns but they don't really get touched anymore.

 

[JOVE23]

My favorite story from my grandpa has the line "We didn't rob the bank, we just took all the money. There was a big hole in the wall and it was all worthless anyway."

???

 

[MassHavoc]

???

Basically, I guess they took the bank presidents mercedes or whatever it was, some old nice snooty car for the time, and one other car like it and drove it out of town inline with the tanks. HAH can you see that... troop carrier, jeep, jeep, troop carrier, mercedes, tank, tank, jeep....