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: 66

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 cheeki kea's photo
12 hours ago
Doc Vega's 9 blog posts were featured
15 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Modern Day Cannibalism?
"You may be consuming human tissue unknowingly in vaccines, food or drink. One of the cruellest…"
15 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Modern Day Cannibalism?
16 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post Death Threats for Assisting ICE?
16 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post Death Threats for Assisting ICE?
"Democrats pretend to be icons of democracy, but what kind of rule do they have in mind? When they…"
16 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post GROK Acknowledges the Co-existence of Humans and Dinosaurs
18 hours ago
omegamann posted photos
19 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post GROK Acknowledges the Co-existence of Humans and Dinosaurs
19 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Doc Vega's blog post GROK Acknowledges the Co-existence of Humans and Dinosaurs
"I got some "proof" for you. An early prehistoric cave painting documented on a runestone."
19 hours ago
Less Prone favorited Doc Vega's blog post In the Political Realm They've Gone One Step Too Far!
19 hours ago
Less Prone commented on Burbia's video
Thumbnail

All In The Family | Mike Meets Archie For The First Time | The Norman Lear Effect

"Television programs have come down a lot in quality since those days. "
19 hours ago
Doc Vega posted a blog post

In the Political Realm They've Gone One Step Too Far!

I'm Your Host here on a completely new program. We call it One Step Too Far! Join us now for some…See More
yesterday
Doc Vega posted photos
yesterday
Doc Vega commented on Burbia's video
Thumbnail

All In The Family | Mike Meets Archie For The First Time | The Norman Lear Effect

"Wow almost as brainless as entitled as the college dolts who argued with Charlie Kirk before his…"
yesterday
Less Prone commented on Burbia's video
yesterday
Less Prone favorited Burbia's video
yesterday
Less Prone posted a video

America Copied Germany’s Jerry Can — But Missed The One Genius Detail that Made All the Difference

America Copied Germany’s WWII Jerry Can — But Missed The One Genuis Detail that Made All the DifferenceIn World War II, Allied armies were losing up to half ...
yesterday
Less Prone favorited Burbia's photo
Monday
Burbia posted a photo
Sunday

© 2025   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