WASHINGTON, Jan. 14, 2009 – The Air Force is “all in” with regard to unmanned aerial systems, and the service’s leaders understand Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates’ direction to field the systems in the combat theater as fully and quickly as possible, the commander of 12th Air Force and Air Forces Southern said Jan. 12.
Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman R. Seip participated in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers.
“Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," the general said. “So I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of UAS and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders.”
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
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Air Force Lt. Gen. Norman R. Seip participated in a teleconference with online journalists and bloggers.
“Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," the general said. “So I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of UAS and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders.”
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
Read more ....
“Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft," the general said. “So I think that makes a very pointed statement about our commitment to the future of UAS and what it brings to the fight in meeting the requirements of combatant commanders.”
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
Read more ....
My Comment: The money quote "Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft".
Wow .... this is a revolution in air power that very few people are talking about. But UAV.s on the battlefield have revolutionized how war is going to be fought in the future.
Seip said the Air Force has 85 percent of its theater-level UAS capability deployed in support of operations in Southwest Asia. The other 15 percent are stateside to train UAS pilots and for operational test and development. The Air Force is doing all it can to speed up the UAS pilot training process, he added.
Read more ....
My Comment: The money quote "Next year, the Air Force will procure more unmanned aircraft than manned aircraft".
Wow .... this is a revolution in air power that very few people are talking about. But UAV.s on the battlefield have revolutionized how war is going to be fought in the future.