Unmanned F-16's Are Now Actually Flying

[Jeff '79]

Large Video Player 686x436

Wow.... Pretty awesome.

[mrvette]

Baby steps, before long all automated warfare.....like we do now on bombing raids flown from the midwest .....

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Baby steps, before long all automated warfare.....like we do now on bombing raids flown from the midwest .....

These are just target drones, unfortunately.

[OddBall]

They're gonna shoot it down!

[boracayjohnny]

It was gonna happen sooner or later, a QF-16. The USAF has used many aircraft for the QF role. Being a fan of the F-4, I was sad to see it used. Maybe in the future, a QF-22 or QF-35 will be used.

Also, the Wright-Patterson Museum already has an F-22 on display. So, a QF model can be in the future too.

[Jeff '79]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

These are just target drones, unfortunately.

Ya, but the next logical step is sortee fighters.
They've come this far..... Why not?

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by mrvette

Baby steps, before long all automated warfare.....like we do now on bombing raids flown from the midwest .....

Yep, a mission from the past; the pilots woke up in the midwest, flew a mission to Iraq, and returned to home.

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

Ya, but the next logical step is sortee fighters.
They've come this far..... Why not?

It's already being used with the Predator and Global Hawk. An actual fighter or bomber aircraft without pilots is not such a far fetched idea.

[DukeAllen]

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

Ya, but the next logical step is sortee fighters.
They've come this far..... Why not?

.gov + logical =

[Jeff '79]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

.gov + logical =

It's Boeing and Moog that are pushing the ideas on .gov.
Not the other way around.

[Czarvette]

Originally Posted by OddBall

They're gonna shoot it down!

#5 is alive! No disassemble!

[boracayjohnny]

This thread sure has the ole memory bank firing....

The F-22 at the Wright-Patt museum....I was involved with getting it there. The a/c was at Hill AFB, Utah and scheduled to move. The day of the move from the hangar to the ramp, aka where the cargo a/c will park, the snow came down in feet. We had to get it done anyway. So, there we were with our plow truck pushing snow out of the way all the while moving our a/c loading equipment around and sometimes getting stuck with the forklifts. It was a day for all hands on deck due to the conditions and the amount of equipment used. We got it done while being safe and without incidents. That's all that really counts.

[Czarvette]

Originally Posted by boracayjohnny

It's already being used with the Predator and Global Hawk. An actual fighter or bomber aircraft without pilots is not such a far fetched idea.

Check out the X-47B Navy UCAV unmanned fighter. Built from the ground up as a pilotless vehicle.

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by Czarvette

Check out the X-47B Navy UCAV unmanned fighter. Built from the ground up as a pilotless vehicle.

Oh yea, I did forget about the Navy aircraft that's around.

[DukeAllen]

Pilotless = soulless. They have their uses, but for a ground bound enthusiast, there's just no excitement there

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by DukeAllen

Pilotless = soulless. They have their uses, but for a ground bound enthusiast, there's just no excitement there

The USAF is currently suffering through a need for UAV pilots and bonuses for re-upping are high and at $15k/year.

Air Force to offer $15K-a-year bonuses for drone pilots -- Defense Systems

[thegreenman]

Originally Posted by boracayjohnny

The USAF is currently suffering through a need for UAV pilots and bonuses for re-upping are high and at $15k/year.

Air Force to offer $15K-a-year bonuses for drone pilots -- Defense Systems

That is because they all think they will be flying fighters, most of them are flying UAV's instead of fighters. Al least the boys driving the heavies have a skill they can use after the military.

Fighter aircraft technology is being held back as the human body can only take so much G force, aircraft now can exceed our G force limit. I have read the F-35 will be the last manned fighter.