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To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't started switching to air-to-air drones yet. They seem to be using them for everything else these days.

by ryusage 13y ago

antubbs 13y ago
This is more conjecture, but I don't think this is so much a capability problem (they're already mounting stingers on drones; larger models with large electronic sensor platforms/radar and sidewinder/amraams are just a matter of time). The problem remains rules of engagement, which are currently easier to verify/enforce with a human in the seat.
greedo 13y ago
You won't see A2A drones for at least another decade. In a non-contested environment, dropping Hellfire missiles is easy from a slow moving drone like a Predator. But this won't occur against a peer enemy. It's too easy to shoot them down. As to A2A, there are far too many obstacles for this happening soon. Plus, there's the whole notion that in a conflict against a peer opponent, that we'll somehow be able to manage the command and control of drones; that the opponent won't be able to disrupt our satcoms and other control channels. This notion is a bit naive. There will be a place for a man in the cockpit for quite a while.
- ryusage 13y ago
  Those are great points. I hadn't considered the ability to jam signals at all. That seems like a pretty huge challenge to overcome actually.
  - sirkneeland 13y ago
    You could plug some serious AI into the drone so it can engage without a connection back to home base. Video game AI is getting pretty good. Just pray it doesn't go all Rise of the Machines on us...
VLM 13y ago
A short range, relatively dumb, more or less autonomous "air-to-air drone" is also called a missile. We already have human piloted aircraft carrying and launching what amounts to air-to-air drones. Essentially a modern fighter is a flying aircraft carrier which carries a load of short range drones. There are some interesting optimization problems where the shorter the range, generally the faster and more maneuverable and effective the weapon is. I think a 500 mile range air-to-air cruise missile would be pretty ineffective and easy to avoid compared to a modern short range missile.

To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't started switching to air-to-air drones yet. They seem to be using them for everything else these days.

by ryusage 13y ago

To be honest, I'm surprised they haven't started switching to air-to-air drones yet. They seem to be using them for everything else these days.

antubbs 13y ago

This is more conjecture, but I don't think this is so much a capability problem (they're already mounting stingers on drones; larger models with large electronic sensor platforms/radar and sidewinder/amraams are just a matter of time). The problem remains rules of engagement, which are currently easier to verify/enforce with a human in the seat.

greedo 13y ago

You won't see A2A drones for at least another decade. In a non-contested environment, dropping Hellfire missiles is easy from a slow moving drone like a Predator. But this won't occur against a peer enemy. It's too easy to shoot them down. As to A2A, there are far too many obstacles for this happening soon. Plus, there's the whole notion that in a conflict against a peer opponent, that we'll somehow be able to manage the command and control of drones; that the opponent won't be able to disrupt our satcoms and other control channels. This notion is a bit naive. There will be a place for a man in the cockpit for quite a while.

ryusage 13y ago
Those are great points. I hadn't considered the ability to jam signals at all. That seems like a pretty huge challenge to overcome actually.
- sirkneeland 13y ago
  You could plug some serious AI into the drone so it can engage without a connection back to home base. Video game AI is getting pretty good. Just pray it doesn't go all Rise of the Machines on us...

VLM 13y ago

A short range, relatively dumb, more or less autonomous "air-to-air drone" is also called a missile. We already have human piloted aircraft carrying and launching what amounts to air-to-air drones. Essentially a modern fighter is a flying aircraft carrier which carries a load of short range drones. There are some interesting optimization problems where the shorter the range, generally the faster and more maneuverable and effective the weapon is. I think a 500 mile range air-to-air cruise missile would be pretty ineffective and easy to avoid compared to a modern short range missile.