US Air Force training more drone operators than pilots

4:00AM Monday Aug 24, 2009
By Edward Helmore

As part of an expanding programme of battlefield automation, the American Air Force has said it is now training more drone operators than fighter and bomber pilots.

In a controversial shift in military thinking - one encouraged by the death of Pakistani Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud in a drone strike on August 5 - the Air Force is looking to hugely expand its fleet of unmanned aircraft by 2047.

Three years ago, the service was able to fly just 12 drones at a time; now it can fly more than 50.

At a trade conference outside Washington last week, military contractors presented a future vision in which pilotless drones serve as fighters, bombers and transports, even automatic mini-drones which attack in swarms.

Five thousand robotic vehicles and drones are deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. By 2015, the Pentagon's US$230 billion ($339 billion) arms procurement programme Future Combat Systems expects 15 per cent of America's armed forces to be robotic.

A recent study, The Unmanned Aircraft System Flight Plan 2020-2047, predicted a boom in drone funding to US$55 billion by 2020 with the greatest changes coming in the 2040s.

"The capability provided by the unmanned aircraft is game-changing," said General Norton Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff. "We can have eyes 24/7 on our adversaries."

Currently airborne drones are directed by trained pilots who then return to their assigned aircraft.

This year, the service started training drone operators with no airborne experience.

- OBSERVER

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objecti...

Views: 75

Comment

You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!

Join 12160 Social Network

Comment by Marklar on August 24, 2009 at 3:10pm

Comment by Mimsgirl on August 24, 2009 at 12:52am
Recently I watched an interview with a drone pilot and the interviewer asked if it was hard to fire on People knowing that probably innocent people would be injured or killed. The pilot was bothered until he finished his shift and went home to his wife, children, and the security of a normal life. Getting up in the morning, eating breakfast, gathering children for school was routine for him... but.. when he entered the control room and became a predator pilot... his whole world changed. It was completely set a-part from his "normal" life and became a duty.... part of the job. Sending the missiles was another part of the job, sometimes regrettable, but necessary. I worry if the orders were to wipe out a nest of American terrorists, you know, the ones who quote the Constitution and respect life, what would happen? It would probably be regrettable but... well.. orders are orders. I hope, if it were to happen, there would be a little regret.
Actually...... if it were to happen... I would hope the American people would storm the cess-pits where the Elite hide from the light of day (so they won't burst into flames) with pitchforks and burning torches to eradicate the vermin responsible. On second thought... why wait??
Comment by TheLasersShadow on August 23, 2009 at 7:55pm
Its 10 times easier for the executioner's ... i mean the pilot's to pull the trigger thousands of miles away from a video game like display than to be overhead in the vehicle itself. The new pilots will be asked eventually to pull the trigger with extreme prejudice on civilians in America. The old pilots flying the planes they know wont follow illegal orders but the new video game trained public school educated drone pilots will pull the trigger with out thought or hesitation.

"Destroying the New World Order"

TOP CONTENT THIS WEEK

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!

mobile page

12160.info/m

12160 Administrators

 

Latest Activity

Less Prone favorited tjdavis's blog post The Trap
14 hours ago
Doc Vega's 2 blog posts were featured
14 hours ago
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post The Exposure of the 9-11 attacks as an Inside Job! In Plane SITE!
"rlionhearted, That's a question I've asked from thevery beginning! What the hel;l was…"
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Doc Vega's blog post The Exposure of the 9-11 attacks as an Inside Job! In Plane SITE!
"Less Prone, they are not just folling us they are killing innocent citizens and non-combatants for…"
yesterday
tjdavis posted a video

The Conformist (1970) Original Trailer [HD]

Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. With Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli and Gastone Moschin.The Conformist Blu-ray : https://amzn.to/3QruE5FThe Conf...
Saturday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

How Ukraine Revolutionized Warfare and Stopped Putin

 A war that Vladimir Putin sold to his people that would be a cake walk that would be over in a few…See More
Friday
tjdavis posted a photo
Friday
tjdavis posted a photo
Friday
tjdavis posted a blog post
Thursday
tjdavis posted a video

Linda Moulton Howe Reopens the Antarctica Mystery With New Claims

Linda Moulton Howe has reopened a file she guarded for twenty-five years, and nearly every witness inside it is now gone. It holds testimony about Antarctica...
Thursday
tjdavis posted a photo
Thursday
Doc Vega favorited Central Scrutinizer's group Clinton For Prison!
Thursday
rlionhearted_3 commented on Sandy's photo
Thumbnail

FB_IMG_1790355245884

"There was no 6 million! See Red Cross, put Jewish deaths during WWII at 277,000! German…"
Thursday
Doc Vega posted a blog post

The De-intellectualizing of the West!

 One of the saddest aspects of reducing a society into chaos and division is propaganda, which is…See More
Wednesday
cheeki kea commented on cheeki kea's photo
Wednesday
cheeki kea posted a photo
Wednesday
tjdavis posted a video

The file of shame - Zandvoort - one of the largest covered-up paedophile scandals

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Sep 29
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Alaskan Triangle US Air Force Loses 5 Aircraft

 The year is 1950 and the US and Soviet Union are locked in a crucial arms race that epitomizes the…See More
Sep 28
Doc Vega posted a blog post

Is this an Undeclared War We are Technologically Losing?

 Incident No. 1The year is 1980 and in US Air Force records this incident is still classified so…See More
Sep 25
tjdavis favorited Sandy's photo
Sep 25

© 2026   Created by truth.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

content and site copyright 12160.info 2007-2019 - all rights reserved. unless otherwise noted