The RPA Problem

摘要

Over the past 14 years, the Air Force has steadily fielded an enormously capable remotely piloted aircraft fleet, though during the first half of that timespan, USAF was frequently criticized for an alleged lack of interest in the burgeoning mission. Criticism reached its apogee in April 2008, when Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates traveled to Maxwell AFB, Ala., and spoke at the Air War College. "Unmanned systems cost much less and offer greater loiter times than their manned counterparts, making them ideal for many of today's tasks," Gates said. "Our services are still not moving aggressively in wartime to provide resources needed now on the battlefield," he continued. "I've been wrestling for months to get more intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets into the theater. Because people were stuck in old ways of doing business, it's been like pulling teeth."