Re: [GZG] [OFFICIAL] Question: was Re: [SG3]: What if?

["bob_eldridge" <bob_eldridge@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Not to mention the Iraqis who surrendered to the drone spotter aircraft from the US battleship.

 

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From: gzg-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gzg-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Phillip Atcliffe
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 7:20 AM
To: gzg-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [GZG] [OFFICIAL] Question: was Re: [SG3]: What if?

 

Chris Ronnfeldt wrote:

Even without this, training of human remote pilots is going to be easier than real pilots, since (as I believe you said, but I've snipped it now) they can learn from their mistakes. No more problems like the RAF faced in the Battle of Britain.

In addition to pilots being able to learn from their mistakes, there is one far more important factor easing pilot training:

Real fighter pilots need to be physically fit enough to handle multi-G turns. A guy siting back at HQ operating a remote doesn't need to be in very good

shape. That provides a substantially larger pool of potential pilots.

Dale Brown made use of this idea in his Dreamland novels. One of the heroes of the series is injured during an operation and becomes a paraplegic, but he can still be a combat pilot by sitting in the back of a modified B-52 and operating the two drone UAVs that the "Megafortress" carries. There's a slight(?) touch of Tom Clancy about the series, but they do foreshadow what might come, and also make the point that, with remotes available, a wounded serviceman does not become ineffective or incapable in combat, even if s/he is immobile. If remotes can't do it all and only have the capability to back up the PBI (why do I suddenly remember the battalions of Iraqis trying to surrender to a couple of Apache helicopters? :-) ), who better to control them than squad- or platoon-mates of the soldiers on the ground?

Phil

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