Being prior AF I agree with the AF position that the large UAV's would best be utilized by them. However, the med size (predators) etc that the Army needs should be included in their combat units and flown,utilized and operated by them. When the troops on the ground need to know right now whats on the other side of the hill, they need to know right now!! Not to have to wait for paperwork to flow and then wait for the AF to drag out a spare UAV and fly it 500 miles to do the mission. COMMON SENSE must prevail here. Lives depend on it! The brass can go to the O club and ***** about it later.
I agree that the AF is being territorial. At the same times, the Army does the same damn thing internally, i.e. when Delta Force was being formed, mech replaced horse cav, the AAF was formed, or not using repeating rifles during the civil war. It never ends with any of the high brass regardless of service. Internal or interservice politics and perdsonal power are way more important that the service memebers' wellbeing or the mission.
I used to fly the Army's Hunter UAV, and my husband flew the Hunter and now flys the Shadow. I can't tell you how many times the airforce couldn't fly to a target due to ceiling coverage by clouds, but we could fly under the clouds and get the target. When a Predator goes down they can't afford to send another Predator to figure out why it went down. They then ask the Army to go find their bird. We were able to be on target faster and more reliably than the Predator. Everyone thinks that you need to be an aviator to fly a UAV, to be honest a trained monkey could do it. All of us enlisted who fly for the Army's UAV system knows that. The Army UAV's have saved civilian and military lives. Even Kiowa helicopter pilots appreciated what we did, even while we were taking their jobs. I would love to see the Army get any and all UAV's that they want and need. Waiting for another service to decide if the need is really there before they ready their planes can mean much loss of life. Our soldiers are in dangerous situations, if we can recon before, during, and after a movement we might just see less dead soldiers. The Air Force needs to get over themselves. In Kosovo the Predator was practically useless, if it weren't for the Hunter there would have been way more loss of life. The commanders loved us so much that they didn't want us to leave. That is the highest, and most annoying, compliment any commander can give troops.
The use of highly trained Air Force pilots to fly large multimillion dollar strategic assets such as Global Hawk makes sense as does upper echelon control. The use of enlisted personnel and control by the end users makes just as much sense for smaller, tactical UAVs. It would be more efficient for the Army/Marines to take the lead in development and operations of tactical UAVs and leave the large, complex strategic aircraft to the Air Force. The Air Force has always relegated CAS as a secondary mission leaving the ground forces grateful when they got it but exhausted by the effort required to justify and obtain it. The effort to rid itself of the A-10 prior to the first Gulf War demonstrates the disdain with which top AF officials view ground support.
I beleave the army should be able to see what is over the next hill or around the next bend are behind the wall or in the chock point that they have to pass through. yes just like satellite radios. I remember vietnam when you were hindered by hills, dead spaces,radio jamming. with the then state of the art p.r.c. 25 which was suppose to reach out up to 25 miles.yeah right.so I say yes to observation uav's.but keep the weapons on the ground.we don't need loose cannons flying gun platforms that think they are clint eastwood or darth vader.
I have the greatest respect for my Air Force Brothers and Sisters, but I see no need for the USAF to use their old song and dance about who's more qualified or prepared to control UAV. Hey General Smart Azz, get over it. I remember the red tape the AF used down south to prove they were the Fly-Fly Boys, and I remember the many times there was no support because some dummy second-guessed a ground, on the scene, commander. But they do need to find jobs for all the officers their rifting. Don't even try that "officers are needed to fly these things" crapola. I'm enlisted, I fly both fixed and rotary. Arrogance does not become one who is real class. Put your high-waters on and find another argument, OR, pitch in and work together. Sheesh!!! With respt to those who deserve it, Sergeant Major
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