Posted on Sep 7, 2022
Air Force faces key questions for next-gen fighters' drone wingmen - Breaking Defense
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Over the past year, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has made it clear that “Loyal Wingman”-style combat drones, partnered with stealth fighters like the F-35 or its yet-to-be-revealed sixth-generation fighter, will be a key element of the service’s future tactical aircraft inventory.
Kendall’s vision is that pilots of aircraft such as the sixth-gen Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, F-35 and F-22 would be able to command one to five drones, “calling plays” that the drones would then be able to accomplish autonomously — although the decision to use a weapon will still fall to human operators.
Kendall’s vision is that pilots of aircraft such as the sixth-gen Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, F-35 and F-22 would be able to command one to five drones, “calling plays” that the drones would then be able to accomplish autonomously — although the decision to use a weapon will still fall to human operators.
Air Force faces key questions for next-gen fighters' drone wingmen - Breaking Defense
Posted from breakingdefense.com
Drones
Defense
F-35
Aviation
Flying
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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At what point does the single seat pilot get overwhelmed by data and managing multiple information streams? If this is the future, maybe we need to go back to EWOs?
CMSgt Marcus Falleaf Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. SFC William Farrell Maj Robert Thornton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Sgt (Join to see) LTC David Brown CWO4 Terrence ClarkPFC David Foster MSgt (Join to see) SMSgt Lawrence McCarter MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. Cpl Vic Burk MSgt Dale Johnson SSG Michael Noll PO1 Jeff Chandler SPC Jon O. SGT Jim Arnold SPC Michael Terrell
CMSgt Marcus Falleaf Maj Bill Smith, Ph.D. SFC William Farrell Maj Robert Thornton SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Sgt (Join to see) LTC David Brown CWO4 Terrence ClarkPFC David Foster MSgt (Join to see) SMSgt Lawrence McCarter MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. Cpl Vic Burk MSgt Dale Johnson SSG Michael Noll PO1 Jeff Chandler SPC Jon O. SGT Jim Arnold SPC Michael Terrell
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Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen
Task saturation has always been an issue, even when we had EWOs, but technology and automation has kept us ahead of that curve. The problem has always been, and probably will be if this concept comes to pass, is what happens when the "magic" doesn't work. In the past it meant one aircraft aborting, in the future it may mean a group of platforms aborting. That problem most likely becomes a mission planners issue, not necessarily an operators one unless the planners haven't put enough platforms in the package to start with.
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A Pilot with a drone or two he can command would be a force multiplier. Since drones can outperform human pilots they'd be deadly wingmen.
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Obviously Kendall spent a lot of time watching Star Wars with its drones and robots in battle. Seriously why not? AI Technology is no where near that stage yet but, as with any advancements, it will never get there if someone in power isn't pushing it. These types of drones appear to be less costly than manned aircraft and loss of one doesn't also cost a human life so if nothing else it makes sense from the budget bean counter point of view. I also think fliers will love the concept because it opens up a whole new realm of air combat.
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