We all know sooner or later, manned fighters in the military will become less and less, to be replaced by Unmanned Aerial Vehicals (UAV's). What would you like to see the future of the military like?

I think UAVs will definatly become the fighter planes of the future, as they will be able to do more things due to humans not being there with the limitions. I believe humans will still pilot them but from stations on the ground.

Eventually it'll get there yeah.
Plus unmanned stuff is cheaper.

Course, losing the feeling/experience of actually being INSIDE that high performance piece of military hardware is a big downer. Its like the ultimate toy!

No I say, for those of you who say yes, I believe that you will be taking away the key component of man being better than machine.
Man may be flawed but we build machines, I believe that they are just as flawed if not more.
I once wanted to be a Naval Aviator but because of my sight I have decided to be a surgeon in the United States Navy and if possible flight surgeon aboard the Ronald Reagan.
But men in these machines, I myself have flown a P-51 Mustang, great fighter of its time, I can't tell you how exhiliarating it is.

But My opinion is that man is better than machine.

That's an interesting point. I'm still undecided. I think It would be good as half and half.

I think recreating the feeling of being in the plane would actually be rather easy.
Have a virtual cockpit that actually rocks from side to side etc. a bit. Also have cameras that look at all angles so that maybe even the pilot can sit inside a sphere that gives him a true all round vision. All that and without risking the life of the pilot.

Originally Posted by Time

No I say, for those of you who say yes, I believe that you will be taking away the key component of man being better than machine.
Man may be flawed but we build machines, I believe that they are just as flawed if not more.
I once wanted to be a Naval Aviator but because of my sight I have decided to be a surgeon in the United States Navy and if possible flight surgeon aboard the Ronald Reagan.
But men in these machines, I myself have flown a P-51 Mustang, great fighter of its time, I can't tell you how exhiliarating it is.

But My opinion is that man is better than machine.

Like I said you cannot make something like this artificial because you may not know but the pilots will.

Originally Posted by the_13th_redneck

I think recreating the feeling of being in the plane would actually be rather easy.
Have a virtual cockpit that actually rocks from side to side etc. a bit. Also have cameras that look at all angles so that maybe even the pilot can sit inside a sphere that gives him a true all round vision. All that and without risking the life of the pilot.

Yeah thats what i think will happen, like Time said machines are flawed and cant be left to there own thing so there definatly needs to be a human pilot, but be taking the pilot out of the plane and putting him on the ground your making the plane able to do more drastic manouvers and the pilots can be swapped if tiredness kicks in.

I think that trouble with UAVs are the technical limitations, just as happened with the tank some decades ago. Though both tanks, it's not the same a Renault Ft-17 than an Abrams, though the latter could've never been developed if the former had never existed. Then, If at last the UAVs become technologically viables, I'm sure they will dominate battlefield for:

1- Once massproduced they will be cheaper to make.

2- There's no risk for the pilots, allowing the Armies to preserve their experience even if the plane is shot down.