The pilotless aircraft are nearly invisible and, without warning, can deliver instant death from thousands of feet away in the airspace above. Foreign governments often give us permission to cross borders with Predators in a way they would not with loud, manned aircraft.
These advantages explain why President Obama has exponentially expanded the program. After five years of use under George W. Bush, such drones had killed around 400 suspected terrorists in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Under President Obama, in less than three years, Predators have taken out more than 2,200.
The program is uniquely suited to Obama’s “leading from behind” approach to warfare: killing far out of sight, and therefore out of mind — and out of the news. Once the war on terror’s fiercest critic, Obama has become its deadliest practitioner.
….more by Victor Davis Hanson HERE
Actually, I think this is the future of warfare. A bunch of American kids, raised on video games, sitting in front of consoles in Cheyenne Mountain, and operating planes thousands of miles away.
No body bags, no maimed soldiers, no PTSD. What’s not to like? Plus the Predators are a heck of a lot cheaper than the new JSF. If we’re worried about the Russkis sneaking across the Arctic Ocean, I would think we could cover the ground much more effectively with 250 Predators than with 25 JSF’s.
Kevin @ 10:25:
And after AliBama gives the technology to the Chinese, in exchange for their buying more US debt—we’ll call it “Predator Walker”—they’ll be flying their own predators over LA, New York and Tel Aviv.
It’s not an air-superiority weapon. It’s a slow, soft target for other aircraft. Part of layered defense, but fighter aircraft are still required.
We could sure make use of some to bolster coastal defense, though.
Nick:
Maybe you didn’t hear, but the Chinese launched a new luxury liner the other day. It sank as soon as it hit the water. (The story is up at zerohedge) I’m not so worried about Chinese technology.
And, as stupid as Bambam is, I don’t think he’ll sell Predators to the Chinese. They are only selling missile-carrying versions to Nato, Japan, Oz, and New Zealand. They are planning some sales to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, but these will be “crippled” versions of the plane, with no missile carrying capability, and a less sensitive radar.
And the new Avenger class drone is faster, flies higher, and is more stealthy than the Predator. No matter how fast a fighter is, it’s not faster than a Sidewinder. I’m pretty sure the aerial combat guys at the USAF would quickly figure out effective tactics if the drones where being shot down repeatedly.
Bambi has been a fairly good war leader – he is a killer at heart – and would be very good
if he ignored the far left (as though they had anywhere to go except to him anyway).
As nick says, drones do presuppose air superiority, which the Americans have enjoyed for a very long time.
UAV’s are a necessary feature of a society unwilling to sustain ANY casualties….This lead Clinton to rely on cruise missiles to interdict Bin Ladin’s “pharmacuticle factory” in the Sudan and a few obvious Al Qaida camps in Afghanistan.
Actually the main feature of the drone is their small dimensions.
These were initially designed for a modern battlefield environment…hard to track and to target. Interception by fighters would be more chance than anything….The best countermeasure is probably attacking the bases or jamming the electronic links.
It is logicle that the Chinese and Russians are hard at work to find a reliable means to break the communications links…
The sinking Chinese ship is probably the launch of a a stealth submarine in a unique disguise…
On one level I have no problem with the increased use of drone strikes, I think any good tool should be used to the maximum of it’s capabilities. However, I find the hypocrisy of Obama laughable.
“Nobel Peace Prize”
Bwaaahaahaaahaaahaa.
Minor pedantic point: these UAVs aren’t really drones.
Strictly speaking, drones were never remotely piloted. Their flight was pre-programmed, usually in a long “racetrack loop”. Once they were launched their flight was fixed and could not be modified.
Canada was seriously involved in their development. The Canadair company produced the CL-89 and the larger CL-289.
But Canada never really exploited the technology much beyond some limited employment of the CL-89. Canadair folded into Bombardier, there was a long and relatively fruitless DND/CF flirtation with the CL-227 “Flying Peanut” which really never went anywhere.
Very Canadian.
I’m guessing the cost per kill has gone up exponentially as well.
I’m also very sure that the value has declined inversely with the number of attempts.
Although the fear factor may be a bonus …. the likelyhood of tactical adjustments by potential targets will mean that the best targets are least likely to be hit.
The Predator and Reaper with all their edges look like good
radar targets. Stealth versions could be developed but with
performance penalties.
I recall back in the day…the “buffalo hunters”…unmanned preprogrammed drones….
over North Viet Nam.
The NVA really hated them…most completed their missions and were successfully recovered in the South China Sea….
Although they provided excellant intel…the time lag hurt (processing film after recovery)….opportunity targets got moved…but we could monitor things like POW camps…camouflage was ineffective at the low altitudes….making permanent instalations (eg SAM sites, FLAK traps & ammo dumps)known….airfields monitored.
The current armed drones allow for accurate, real time interdiction of even momentary opportunity targets…..24/7…
KevinB….the IDF are not buyers…they are early innovators….they have developed their own…..strictly recon though…so the scuttlebutt goes…
John Lewis
Small size, composite materials and negligable heat signature make the current generation stealthy….the scuttle butt is some have LED under-surfaces that mimic the over head automatically…chameleons…
John Lewis, google up “DarkStar”. Stealth drone.
Also, I wouldn’t get too attached to the idea of interrupting the control data stream. A home builder can cobble together a very capable robot which can take off, fly to a pre-programmed location and land. Or crash and explode, depending on the purpose.
If a kid can do that in the basement for a couple hundred bucks, I’m thinking Boeing can make a robot that decides accurately which of the five cars in front of it Mr. Bad Guy is in and blow it up with a missile. Then fly home.
Here’s one that hacks your cell phone:
phantomsoapbox.blogspot.com/2011/08/three-interesting-hacks.html
Somebody alert Amnesty International! Arrest Obama!