Posted on Dec 15, 2015
USAF proposes $3B plan to vastly expand its drone program. Would you allocate this funding differently or do you agree with this move?
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Interesting read here in the LA Times and I'm curious what the RP community thinks of this strategic expansion of RPAs.
Please vote in the survey and share your thoughts on this plan to vastly grow the drone fleet. If the $3B in funding is indeed moved into the RPA programs, how should it effectively be allocated between systems, manpower, & training programs? If not RPAs, where would you spend this budget?
Brief excerpt of the Times article below.
"The Air Force wants to vastly expand its drone program over the next five years by doubling the number of pilots and deploying them to bases in California and elsewhere to give commanders better intelligence and more firepower.
The $3-billion plan, which must be approved by Congress, was unveiled Thursday after months of study that focused on a drone pilot force that commanders have described as overworked, undermanned and underappreciated....
The Air Force wants to add 75 Reapers to the current fleet of 175 Reapers and 150 Predators. It also would increase the number of flying squadrons from eight to as many as 17, and add up to 3,500 new pilots, sensor operators and other personnel."
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-drone-pilots-20151210-story.html
Please vote in the survey and share your thoughts on this plan to vastly grow the drone fleet. If the $3B in funding is indeed moved into the RPA programs, how should it effectively be allocated between systems, manpower, & training programs? If not RPAs, where would you spend this budget?
Brief excerpt of the Times article below.
"The Air Force wants to vastly expand its drone program over the next five years by doubling the number of pilots and deploying them to bases in California and elsewhere to give commanders better intelligence and more firepower.
The $3-billion plan, which must be approved by Congress, was unveiled Thursday after months of study that focused on a drone pilot force that commanders have described as overworked, undermanned and underappreciated....
The Air Force wants to add 75 Reapers to the current fleet of 175 Reapers and 150 Predators. It also would increase the number of flying squadrons from eight to as many as 17, and add up to 3,500 new pilots, sensor operators and other personnel."
http://www.latimes.com/world/middleeast/la-fg-drone-pilots-20151210-story.html
Posted in these groups: 
Air Force
Aviation
Defense and Space
12UX: Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot
Air Force Aviation Defense and Space 12UX: Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 8
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Capt Brandon Charters This is the future of warfare. Which makes the 400 billion spent on the f-35 even more egregious an irony. In 30 years or so there won't be ANY manned aircraft fighting wars, they'll all be unmanned.
Just imo.
Just imo.
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This is the way the fight is being joined today, and the resource appears to be strained from what I have been able to determine.
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MCPO Roger Collins
As long as there is no territorial dispute between the branches of the military, this is a good idea. The program is working well within the confines of the W.H. Staff, this is one instance that more is better.
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The $3 billion invested in the drone program will go a lot further than training and maintaining pilots. Plus anytime we can send a drone into a hostile environment instead of putting an American at risk is a win.
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