Empty F-16 jet tested by Boeing and US Air Force

reply to post by boymonkey74


Tell me if I'm wrong but, wasn't this a part of a movie plot?
Kinda like Skynet/MCP/Matrix/I-Robot where automated bomber ACCIDENTALLY DROPS A BROKEN ARROW on some city somewhere and WWIII begins. One word "Suckawood".

First of all, we need to drop the notion of latency problem in the discussion. Period end of story. This application will not have a satellite link. Again, this is GCS in the air.

Second, a UAV firing air to air would not require any breakthrough in engineering. It could be done, but it doesn't mean it has been done. But you need to be in position to fire a missile, and I doubt any prop driven UAV can get in position to launch a missile at an air target. The large wings of the predator and reaper prevent it from turning quickly. To be nimble, you need stubby wings. To slowly sip fuel to increase loiter time, you need to think glider, not fighter. So the UAV would have to be jet powered with small wings. Well unless the target aircraft is slow moving. Remember in the Balkans, they would shoot down the predators from helicopters with a door gunner. The predator and reaper don't do anything quickly, even if latency isn't an issue.

Third, the AWACS is well out of the forward edge of battle. It spots targets and that is about it. It could fly a UAV, but I think the missile itself will need to perform the radar lock. At a hundred miles away (if not more), the countermeasure of the enemy would probably be effective enough to send the missile off course if the AWACS performed the targeting.

Launching an air to air missile from a UAV isn't a big deal. Having it be effective is another story. On a predator or reaper, probably all it could shoot down is another prop plane. I think the capabilities of air to air on a predator would be similar to that of an attack helicopter. Even China has helicopter based air to air missiles.