I never even heard of an RQ-170 before. Now I harbor the knowledge that it is affectionately dubbed "The Beast of Kandahar"! Well, apparently the beast was a bit rambunctious and a lot too tame.
Stealthy Vehicle Goes Wandering and Touches Down Gently
OK, I get that it is a remotely piloted vehicle. I understand that these things can possibly do their own version of the "Blue Screen of Death" and like most of our home computers maybe require a reboot or the dreaded firmware update. But isn't this supposed to be some sort of cosmic top-secret spy widget direct from the undergound lair of Q? Didn't we have a little flap-a-doodle a few months ago about a crashed spooky Blackhawk with a super-silent tail rotor? Don't we learn from these events?
So there you are hyper-ventilating in your air-conditioned trailer in your leather Lazy-Boy with your cold can of Red Bull sweating on the neato Air Force logo coaster when suddenly your special custom GameBoy controller no longer seems to be directing the Bat Plane. What do you do? Is this like taking an SA-14 up the prostate exam access receptacle? Will you earn a DFC for this or be severely reprimanded for losing track of your assigned toy? Do you have a checklist covering this situation?
According to the news item, you need not worry because the Spook-mo-Plane is programmed to maintain level flight, draw upon it's genuine OnStar traffic database and find a suitable landing location where it will set down gently without harm to bystanders or voiding your LockMart warranty.
The only catch is that chosen airfield is owned and operated by Iranians-R-Us and they are not our friends. Special delivery, Candy-Gram for Mahmud Ahmadinejad!
What ever happened to "this tape will self-destruct after thirty seconds"? What became of the little fail-safe package and the red button on the console to make all of the secrets disappear before being delivered to the bad guy's research lab? Can't we do a simple thing like mort our own errant drone before turning it over to the enemy?
Maybe Game Boy shouldn't get to wear wings and get combat pay after all. Apparently the really critical man-in-the-loop decisions take a different breed of warrior.
9 comments:
Ed,
It's not OUR Air Force any longer.
Done though I hold little hope that he'll actually learn anything. He seems a little too OWS to be educable.
and does this have anything to do with that pesky little virus we've had in the drone piloting software for some time now?
I read a while back that no one had been able to get rid of it, but it "wasn't doing anything"
“We keep wiping it off, and it keeps coming back,” says a source familiar with the network infection, one of three that told Danger Room about the virus. “We think it’s benign. But we just don’t know.”
Here's the link:
http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/10/virus-hits-drone-fleet/
1. There is no point in building a TIppy Top Secret weapon unless you plan on putting it in Harm's way when it is needed. I'd say using it against Iran was a good use.
2. This aircraft should have multiple self-destruct mechanism. Besides explosives I'd say Low fuel at 50K altitude should be a Dive straight down mode.
3. Never underestimate what the enemy can do Japan/Midway, French/Dien Bien Phu Syria/Golan Heights. In addition would it be possible for the Iranians to receive help from the Chinese or Russians?
Update: Thanks to MSGT B his link led to this one
http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-dewline/2011/12/avtobaza-irans-weapon-in-rq-17.html
4. I'm glad the pilots who wears the same Wings as you is alive and well and not being paraded around on Iranian TV like Francis Gary Powers. And ready to fly a manned airplane on his next assignment.
5. If a B-2 is needed to destroy this asset I have no problem with that happening
6. I hope the old fogy Fighter pilot in Whitesboro TX is getting up to date on UAV's and all the good things they have done to save lives and kill our enemies.
7. How about dem Cardinals!!!
~Leadfoot
Leadfoot, the CSAF has established a new kind of rating insignia (aka "wings") for the new generation of UAV operators. They don't all wear the same kind of wings I do.
When drones can carry load equivalents to Strike Eagles, move at speeds similar to Vipers or Raptors, maneuver at G-loads sufficient to engage enemy aircraft, and survive in non-permissive environments we will replace manned aircraft. Until then you will need the real systems and operators willing to go into harm's way.
You may want to notice that Syria/Golan Heights was where the nuclear facility disappeared without warning or that Bekaa Valley was where 87 enemy aircraft were shot down without a friendly loss. (UAV decoys and ECM ops supported the manned aircraft).
Currently UAVs have potential in permissive environments and are doing very well. They do not have the capability to replace manned systems in the range of scenarios the US must face. The current attitude toward those manned crews and the imposition of politically correct "equality" for UAV specialists is destructive to the morale of the force. The career-shattering assignment of highly qualified tactical aviators to UAV duty is going to leave us well short of the men/women we need with the fiber to do the required job.
It should have had 5 pounds of thermite for the electronics, and an equal amount of C4 for the airframe.
So now that the aircraft has been captured, does that mean that the ROV "pilot" has to get on a commercial jetliner, fly to Tehran, take a taxi to the crash site, and either surrender to local authorities or commence to escape and evade?
Ed,
Thanks for the update. Did some googling and see that who is piloting UAV's has changed since the last time I checked. I would not characterized an airman who has earned "wings" as a drone pilot as being equal to one who went through UPT. USAF might want to think along the lines of Warrrant Officers like the Army has with Chopper Pilots however.
I do suspect this particular drone and mission might rate a rated pilot with the rank of Major or above. If it's not someone has case of the stupids. I'd be surprised if there are more than ten and wouldn't be surprised if this is the only one
Syria Golan heights refers to the capture of the golan heights in the 67 war
I don't think any rational disciple of airpower sees drones as a replacement for Manned Fighter/Bomber aircraft. They have many uses that can help keep the sharp end of the spear useful in the right direction
~Leadfoot
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