- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 110
fr. today's Globe and Mail.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050906.gtplanes06/BNStory/Technology/?query=drones
By MURRAY BREWSTER
Tuesday, September 6, 2005 Updated at 9:42 AM EDT
Canadian Press
HALIFAX â †It is usually the stuff of science fiction and Hollywood, but Canadian defence
researchers are debating the replacement of the trusty CF-18 jetfighter with a fleet of sophisticated, pilotless drones.
The concept was first proposed in 2003 in an internal Defence Department research paper, but it has now become the subject of discussion within the air force.
The CF-18s, which are undergoing a $1.3-billion, life-extending modernization, are scheduled to keep flying until 2017.
The idea of simply substituting one manned aircraft for another should no longer be the obvious solution given the increasing complexity and relatively low cost of unmanned vehicles, said Thierry Gongora, a defence researcher
In his study, one of the options he suggested is replacing the CF-18 with a fleet of pilotless drones.
"It's in the realm of possibility," he said in an interview from Ottawa. "There are people thinking that much outside the box."
In an age of tight budgets, as well as a defence policy review and U.S. resolve to extend its security perimeter to the whole of North America, the idea of switching to drones isn't that far-fetched, said General Paul Manson, retired chief of defence staff and a member of the conference of defence associations.
Not having to risk lives attacking heavily defended targets makes them very attractive, Gen. Manson said.
Pilotless surveillance drones, such as the U.S. Predator, have seen military duty in Afghanistan with U.S. and Canadian forces.
The growing popularity of the system, which combines real-time video and a host of other electronic surveillance, has led to the development of more sophisticated drones that can carry missiles and attack ground targets.
Unlike the completely automated attack fighter that goes haywire in this summer's Hollywood movie Stealth, the real-life drones are controlled from the ground by technicians.
In the spring, the United States successfully tested the latest version of a robotic combat aircraft, which is being designed to evade ground fire.
Whether technically savvy robots can replace flesh-and-blood pilots in all aspects of air combat is still a matter of debate, Mr. Gongora said.
For example, the technology does not permit drones to carry out air-to-air interceptions, such as tracking down enemy aircraft or escorting airliners that may have been hijacked.
A senior air force officer in charge of the squadron supporting the CF-18 fleet is deeply skeptical.
"I'm not convinced the technology will be there," Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Doyon said in an interview from Bagotville, Que.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050906.gtplanes06/BNStory/Technology/?query=drones
By MURRAY BREWSTER
Tuesday, September 6, 2005 Updated at 9:42 AM EDT
Canadian Press
HALIFAX â †It is usually the stuff of science fiction and Hollywood, but Canadian defence
researchers are debating the replacement of the trusty CF-18 jetfighter with a fleet of sophisticated, pilotless drones.
The concept was first proposed in 2003 in an internal Defence Department research paper, but it has now become the subject of discussion within the air force.
The CF-18s, which are undergoing a $1.3-billion, life-extending modernization, are scheduled to keep flying until 2017.
The idea of simply substituting one manned aircraft for another should no longer be the obvious solution given the increasing complexity and relatively low cost of unmanned vehicles, said Thierry Gongora, a defence researcher
In his study, one of the options he suggested is replacing the CF-18 with a fleet of pilotless drones.
"It's in the realm of possibility," he said in an interview from Ottawa. "There are people thinking that much outside the box."
In an age of tight budgets, as well as a defence policy review and U.S. resolve to extend its security perimeter to the whole of North America, the idea of switching to drones isn't that far-fetched, said General Paul Manson, retired chief of defence staff and a member of the conference of defence associations.
Not having to risk lives attacking heavily defended targets makes them very attractive, Gen. Manson said.
Pilotless surveillance drones, such as the U.S. Predator, have seen military duty in Afghanistan with U.S. and Canadian forces.
The growing popularity of the system, which combines real-time video and a host of other electronic surveillance, has led to the development of more sophisticated drones that can carry missiles and attack ground targets.
Unlike the completely automated attack fighter that goes haywire in this summer's Hollywood movie Stealth, the real-life drones are controlled from the ground by technicians.
In the spring, the United States successfully tested the latest version of a robotic combat aircraft, which is being designed to evade ground fire.
Whether technically savvy robots can replace flesh-and-blood pilots in all aspects of air combat is still a matter of debate, Mr. Gongora said.
For example, the technology does not permit drones to carry out air-to-air interceptions, such as tracking down enemy aircraft or escorting airliners that may have been hijacked.
A senior air force officer in charge of the squadron supporting the CF-18 fleet is deeply skeptical.
"I'm not convinced the technology will be there," Lieutenant-Colonel Carl Doyon said in an interview from Bagotville, Que.
