Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's)From New Wars:
If you thought the recent knife fights over the F-22 Raptor fighter cancellation was tough, you haven’t seen anything comparable as the massive Joint Strike Fighter program implodes under the weight of immense costs in the next decade. At least, that is yours truly’s prediction, as all the signs of disaster on a colossal scale, dare I say Biblical proportions, of this likely the most costly and important international weapons venture in all history. Listen to Winslow Wheeler’s take:
A financial disaster? How can that be? Visiting the F-35 plant in Fort Worth, Texas last August, Secretary of D Robert Gates assured us that the F-35 will be “less than half the price … of the F-22.” In a narrow sense, Gates is right. At a breathtaking $65 billion for 187 aircraft, the F-22 consumes $350 million for each plane. At $299 billion for 2,456, the F-35 would seem a bargain at just $122 million each.
F-35 unit cost will ultimately be much higher…the F-35 program will cost up to $15 billion more, and it will be delivered about two years late.
Read more ....
My Comment: A good summary on where the Air Force is going. Read it all. The comments thread also has a few good points.
As to what is my own personal take on this subject .... I have been interested in UAVs since the year 2000. Bombardier is in my home town, and one of my business partners at the time was involved in UAV R&D while working with them.
At the time, I was very skeptical.
After almost 10 years .... everything has changed. UAV development has reached the point where a man in Nevada can now press a button in front of a computer console, and a target in Pakistan is incinerated from a drone flying overhead.
My prediction .... 20 years from now UAVs will be approaching a sophistication and ability that will make today's UAVs look like World War II aviation relics when compared to the jet fighters that we have today.
No comments:
Post a Comment