So, I am happy to mention this news article.
A drone pilot's nightmare came true when operators lost control of an armed MQ-9 Reaper flying a combat mission over Afghanistan on Sunday. That led a manned U.S. aircraft to shoot down the unresponsive drone before it flew beyond the edge of Afghanistan airspace.Regards — Cliff
The U.S. Air Force stated that a manned aircraft took "proactive measures" to shoot down the Reaper, which ended up crashing into the side of a mountain. Reaper drones have typically engaged in hunter-killer missions over Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan by targeting enemies on the ground with Hellfire missiles.
Two problems with "drones." Well, actually, three problems. The first problem is that they are drones. The second is that their is no cumulative wisdom based on long experience (emphasis on wisdom), and finally, they represent a cheap way out of a difficult but necessary cost of protection of national sovereignty. The AF thinks it can get the same results without paying the labor costs resultant from having a warm-blooded occupant in the cockpit.
ReplyDeleteI am just waiting for the day that some hostile will figure out that they too can shoot down a drone. Let's face it, the Predator, et al are not exactly "speedsters."
It is all about the money....and very little if any at all about combat effectiveness.