The Unmanned Air Force

[UnderseaLcpl]

Originally Posted by baggygreen

And regardless of how securely you encrypt the radio channel you use to control the UAV, if the enemy were to throw enough electrical energy in its general direction, you'll lose control. they need to keep a manned fighter and bomber force going.

Well, there's a way around that. All you have to do is use frequency-hopping coupled with an autopilot system that just keeps the thing from crashing.
You have to put out a lot of energy to jam a freq-hop signal, and the second you do, your position can be triangulated by RDF and will be a very bright beacon to an anti-radiation missile.
I'm not too concerned about the crypto being compromised, either. The U.S. the best crypto systems in the world, coupled with extensive measures meant to minimize a breach if one did occur. The one thing I can tell you is that the hopsets and crypto keys are changed very frequently. I wish I could say more, cause' it's pretty amazing stuff.

In any case, an unmanned airforce is still many years away, if it ever comes at all. UAVs are great, and a definite asset on the battlefield, but they aren't ready be the primary aerial platforms yet.