Hey guys, I have been slammed this week, I have so much to post and not enough time. Listen, I know people like the big in-depth essays on emerging technology or whatever most, so I am going to work on getting one of two ideas, or possibly your idea, up, tell me which one you want most:
1.) What the next step in netcentric warfare means for the future of America’s air combat forces
2.) Why operational autonomous UCAV technology already exists and why it is not being fielded in mass
or…
3.) Give me your ideas and I will see if one jumps out!
Let me know and I will dust my drafts off and try to get something up soon.
Hope the New Year is going great for all of you!
-Ty
Would love to see your take on UCAVs
I’m also quite curious about the UCAVs
id like the UCAV subject. thanks for the great website and love the china info!
Hope you are having a great week! While I would love to read your thoughts on both options 1 & 2, option 2 would be my vote for now.
how France would be owning those Mali rebels if it had a few squadrons of UAVs, which would only cost as much as a handfull of Rafales
for all their glamour UCAVs are still mostly a silver bullet, it’s the rank-and-file UAVs where you get the most value for your money
Articles i would like you to publish:
-your position on the replacement of the F-15E Strike Eagle
-A comparative between american fighters and russian/chinese fighters
-What should replace the A-10
-What should the USMC buy for CAS and what should they fly from the America class ships if the JSF fails
-What should be the new Armed aerial scout for the US Army
Maybe not your field exactly, but I find the Upward Falling Payloads talk interesting. I gather these pods would be used for land attack or ASuW, but I suppose you could load out the VLS with AAWs.
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=bd2a1c485b10d572ceb7d9ef5d3e6688&tab=core&_cview=0
I would like to see a review (in 2012 $) of fighter development since the F-4. Time, costs, delays, aircraft lost etc.
Option #2 gets my vote.
I loved your discussion on the Chinese purchase of the TU-22 production line and the implications for American seapower projection.
I like the idea of option 2 also, but will enjoy any.
Hello Ty,
my suggestion:
Present and future of the ECM/ECR/SEAD aircrafts and dedicated pods in the Western aviations (though some insights on Russian Air Force would also be intersting, not so much information released).
What will come after the AN/ALQ-99 pod? We will see the US Navy using the Growlers for the next 20 years while the USAF will enforfce an “EF-35 Howler” (could also a single seat A/C be effective for these particular missinos)?
Perspectives for the German/Italian services currently using the Tornado ECR variant and for the Royal Australian Air Force? Why some important Services around the World seems not intersted in these capabilities (I am thinking about the RAF).
Thnx.
You have a very informative website.
As for your choices, how about the reasons why manned aircraft, i.e., F-35 and the F-22, will shortly become expensive museum pieces as the next generation of UCAV become available. Or maybe why a fleet of UCAV may not be a good idea.
Guys, sorry for the delay, GREAT COMMENTS and some worthwhile ideas here too! OK, I am going for the UCAV piece. The documentary for PBS I worked on (see recent post) got me deep into past UAV development programs and trends and puzzling holes emerged that end up drawing some fairly clear conclusions on where we are exactly in UCAV development in reality. I may try to make this shorter than longer as I could get it out sooner… Let’s just put it this way, the genie was out of the bottle a decade ago, instead of introducing said genie to the world they banished him to the desert so that less capable wish granters could continue their lucrative enterprises unmolested. Stay tuned, this is going to be an opinion piece that may upset some.
As the US forces move into the next step of netcentric warfare, Air forces used along side them are going too find them selves busier then ever. All Air assets that can preform Ground attack are going too have too preform ground attack. I also see Use of Smaller UAV’s moving in as there price continues too drop and there features continue too rise. UCAV’s have two issues as I see it One Politically it’s still preferred too have A human in the loop second If the day cam when Air superiority roles are offered for UCAV’s The key issue then will be the fear that she might shoot down the wrong target by mistake, Say Taking down a 787 thinking it was a H6
In a serious peer state conflict where the enemy is the enemy as they are behind enemy lines, I do not see much of this being an issue. Don’t think COIN ops or occupations or close air support, think deep strike, SEAD, DEAD and OCA. Read my piece on 10 Thoughts About The Future Of Drone Warfare, in it I talk about optionally man in the loop UCAVs, autonomous for kicking down the door in a clearly hostile area and to work as a swarm, man in the loop for ISR, CAS etc.