posted
Armchair pilots striking Afghanistan by remote control
Pilots direct remote-control aircraft from Nevada base in combat 7,500 miles away
New drone, "the Reaper," carries the same bomb load as an F-16 fighter plane
Reapers have been flying round-the-clock patrols over Afghanistan since 2007
Air Force sees unmanned aircraft as the future of aerial combat
By Laurie Ure CNN
CREECH AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada (CNN) -- From a desert outpost northwest of Las Vegas, elite fighter pilots journey to a war zone in Afghanistan, some 7,500 miles away.
It might be the world's longest commute, except that these armchair pilots at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada never leave the air-conditioned comfort of their command center.
Air Force pilots are employing remotely controlled fighter-bomber aircraft -- known in military parlance as unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs -- to fly combat missions over Afghanistan, hunting for insurgents bent on undermining Afghan President Hamid Karzai's fragile government.
This is the future of aerial combat.
Sitting in a virtual cockpit is not as exciting as flying a fighter jet, but unmanned attack-plane pilots can enjoy a normal workday schedule -- more or less. Watch the Reaper at work »
"Seeing bad guys on the screen and watching them possibly get dispatched, and then going down to the Taco Bell for lunch, it's kind of surreal," says Captain Matt Dean.
The original drone was the "Predator," armed with a pair of Hellfire missiles. It was followed by its bigger and far more lethal cousin, "the Reaper," which carries four times as much firepower. The Reaper can carry the same bomb load as an F-16 fighter plane, but its pilots are not put in harm's way.
The Air Force once employed jerry-rigged missiles strapped to unmanned spy planes. Now military commanders see remotely piloted aircraft as the model for the way future wars will be fought.
For over a year, Reapers have been flying two separate round-the-clock patrols over eastern Afghanistan, controlled from the Creech AFB command center, which has been strictly off-limits to the media until now.
Reaper pilots so far this year have launched 64 missiles and dropped seven 500-pound bombs in Afghanistan.
Originally a spy plane, the Predator was converted to a strike aircraft shortly after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. Air Force technicians strapped two Hellfire missiles -- one under each wing -- and turned the unarmed "surveillance platform" into a remote-controlled killing machine.
By the weekend following September 11, the Predator's operators believe they had Taliban leader Mullah Omar in their sights, but never got the authorization to pull the trigger.
Nonetheless, from that experience a new strategy was born -- one of employing an increasing fleet of armed, unmanned aircraft. Unmanned spy planes have always provided an unblinking eye in the sky, but now they offer untiring combat capability, too.
The pilots stay safe and rotate in shifts to prevent fatigue, guiding incredibly lightweight planes that can stay aloft for more than a day at a time. Even after some 30 hours of flying time, upkeep of UAVs is minimal when compared with that of F-16s.
"Sometimes it's a matter of putting gas in it and it goes right back up," says Master Sgt. Aaron Hauser, who oversees daily maintenance of the Predator fleet at Creech. "It's a far simpler aircraft to maintain, and that's the whole point."
The success of this new concept of aerial power has created a huge demand for the aircraft. Every commander wants one, but there aren't nearly enough to go around.
But not for long: the Air Force is shifting its budget toward buying dozens more remote-controlled killer Reapers.
-------------------- When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Sinclair Lewis Posts: 1901 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
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Sound like the ultimate video game experience. Real planes! Real bombs! Real killings! They should market the software to gaming nerds and let them have at it. When we decide to invade a new country, a new version comes out. If we're in a handful of skirmishes around the world, they could sell a box set.
Posts: 5532 | From: Wisconsin | Registered: Sep 2003
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yeah and you can even trade while you are at it
i think we should go back to swords and axes.
-------------------- "Man is the only kinda varmint that sets his own trap, baits it, and steps in it." Posts: 26310 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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Ya know, this really jumped out at me from the article.
"New drone, "the Reaper," carries the same bomb load as an F-16 fighter plane"
Will be scary times when countries can fully commit "drones" to war without risking soldiers. The decision to attack gets a whole lot easier me thinks.
-------------------- When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Sinclair Lewis Posts: 1901 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
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kinda makes you wish for the "good old days"
"Valhalla I am coming"
-------------------- "Man is the only kinda varmint that sets his own trap, baits it, and steps in it." Posts: 26310 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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Yea, with drones, collateral damage becomes a whole lot more acceptable. To quote Bradbury, "Something wicked this way comes".
-------------------- When facism comes to America it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross. Sinclair Lewis Posts: 1901 | From: St. Louis | Registered: Feb 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Relentless.: Just wait till programming gets to the stage where central main frames start "thinking":
The humans are really a bunch of morons.
humans are just feet for microbes anyaway
-------------------- "Man is the only kinda varmint that sets his own trap, baits it, and steps in it." Posts: 26310 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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posted
yup, and throughout history much more important than their hosts. Evil super computers will know that. Poof! We're gone. Terminator all over again only without cheesey accents and heros.
Posts: 1556 | Registered: Aug 2005
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We'll I haven't seen the movie yet but I want to see Wanted. But anyways there is a quote from the movie i believe in to prevent wars, soldiers lives and further conflicts:
Kill one, save thousands.
-------------------- Money Never Sleeps Pal.
Greed, for the lack of a better word is GOOD. Posts: 3261 | Registered: Mar 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Pagan: Ya know, this really jumped out at me from the article.
"New drone, "the Reaper," carries the same bomb load as an F-16 fighter plane"
Will be scary times when countries can fully commit "drones" to war without risking soldiers. The decision to attack gets a whole lot easier me thinks.
Agreed. Much easier to sell the idea that military intervention is needed when you can as much as guarantee no american\'whatever country has the drones' lives will be lost.
Didn't see it in the article...did you see any mention of cost\unit?
Posts: 573 | From: Utah | Registered: Mar 2008
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quote:Originally posted by SeekingFreedom: Kill one, save thousands.
Doth mine ears decieve me? Or didst thou thus advocate for the taking of human life, Machiavelli?
Just as long as we don't have to risk our own it's ok, eh?
We'll since you can't hear my voice through the forum I would say it's more your eyes and not your ears lol But it does make sense... if we had trained a Iraqi(s) for example with no visible connections to the U.S. to assassinate Sadaam and others in his inner circle (sons, Chemical Ali etc.) we probably wouldn't be there right now costing us $12 Billion a month, 4,000 + soldiers lives, high oil/gas prices etc.. etc.. that is just one example... doing the same thing to Obama Bin Laden is another example etc..
I think we had it better when the CIA manipulated countries behind the scenes with no proof of direct link to us just assumptions and innuendos like in the old days... CIA financed coups, manipulation of elections etc... only problem is the CIA of today are bungling idiots compared to the CIA of yesteryear...
-------------------- Money Never Sleeps Pal.
Greed, for the lack of a better word is GOOD. Posts: 3261 | Registered: Mar 2004
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-------------------- "Man is the only kinda varmint that sets his own trap, baits it, and steps in it." Posts: 26310 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003
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