US Air Force forms first robot fighter air wing

Top guns grounded

Iain Thomson in San Francisco

The US Air Force has formed its first fighter air wing consisting solely of remote operator-controlled drone aircraft.

The 174th Fighter Wing is currently made up of piloted F-16 strike aircraft and the unit has just returned from duty in Iraq. Now the entire wing will be transitioned into the first wing made up of MQ-9 Reaper drones, according to the military paper Strategy Page.

Advertisement

The drones can fly for over 14 hours before refuelling and operate at up to 50,000 feet and carry up to three tons of ordinance. They cost a third of the price of an F-16 fighter and cost 100 times less to fuel.

The pilots will be trained on the new craft and will be able to fly the aircraft remotely without leaving the United States. Maintenance crews will still need to be shipped out to wherever the wing is deployed.

Manned fighter aircraft will be needed for the foreseeable future due to the quick response times needed for aerial combat. The Reapers will be used to stay on target over areas and launch missiles or 'smart' bombs where needed.

However, there may be hidden costs to the switch. Some reports are saying that the psychological effects of using such weapons will lead to a higher mental attrition rate among pilots.

"When you come in at 500-600 miles per hour, drop a 500-pound bomb and then fly away, you don't see what happens," Colonel Albert K. Aimar, who is commander of the 163d Reconnaissance Wing and has a bachelor's degree in psychology, told The Boston Globe.

But when a drone fires a missile, "you watch it all the way to impact, and I mean it's very vivid, it's right there and personal. So it does stay in people's minds for a long time."

The Air Force has called in therapists, psychologists and even chaplains to try and help drone operators adjust.

"It's bizarre, I guess," said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Lenahan, a Predator pilot and operations director for the 196th Reconnaissance Squadron.

"It is quite different, going from potentially shooting a missile, then going to your kid's soccer game."

  • Have your say
  • Send to a friend
  • Print
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • Share

Do you agree?

Further reading

US military plans robot swarms

Science fiction becomes reality

Terminator

US Army steps up robot investments

The rise of the machines

Israelis show off robot soldier

War for the PlayStation generation

Robot barman starts work at Selfridges

Mr Asahi serves up ice-cold beer

Related whitepapers

Related jobs

Most watched

eu flag

V3.co.uk weekly debrief, 6 Nov 09

This week, Europe decides what to do with illegal file sharers

Intel unveils its micro server platform

Small-enclosure systems take aim at hosting market

Analysis and Reports

Remote access - Three steps to getting connected

3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?

Cost benefits of a global collaboration network

This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications

Poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

Impact of Information Overload poll

What is the biggest problem your firm faces as a result of the data explosion?

View poll results

Advertisement

White paper library

Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.

Advertisement

Newsletter signup

Sign up for our range of FREE newsletters:

Existing User

Newsletter user login:

Enter email address to edit your newsletter preferences

Job of the week

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Hiring now on ComputingCareers:

Related IT jobs

Search thousands of IT jobs :

Search thousands of IT jobs:

Advanced search

Advertisement

Spotlight

Alcatel-Lucent logo

Summit: Networks swamped by information overload

Alcatel-Lucent's Neal Tilley talks about how enterprises and carriers can...

EU flag

Breach notification laws get green light

Privacy rights strengthened in Europe

Richard Thomas

Summit: Richard Thomas advises on handling the data deluge

Former Information Commissioner speaks out on government databases and data...

oracle sun

War of words escalates between EU and Oracle

Commission comes out fighting after criticism from Oracle and Washington

Primary Navigation