Navy shows little interest in armed drones

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Navy shows little interest in armed drones
By Sebastian Abbot - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 3, 2008 6:01:44 EDT

ABOARD THE USS HARRY S. TRUMAN — The Navy lags well behind the Air Force in the development of armed drones — the unmanned aircraft now used increasingly in Iraq and Afghanistan — insisting that its “Top Gun” fighter pilots are still smarter, better and more flexible in combat.

But the contrasting visions for the next generation of America’s air arsenal point to wider debates within the military about the pace of incorporating remote-control technology into future battle strategies.

It also touches on differences in military cultures — with the Navy coming under criticism for its apparent resistance to substitute fighter pilot training and instincts with aircraft guided by operators who can be thousands of miles away.

For the moment, the Navy is deeply committed to plans for the F-35 and developing a drone fleet strictly for surveillance and other nonweapon tasks. The Air Force, meanwhile, has used armed drones for years and appears to embody Pentagon trends to encourage drones as a way to reduce costs and consolidate personnel.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, in a speech in April, called on the Air Force and other military officials to rethink “long-standing service assumptions and priorities about which missions require certified pilots, and which do not.”


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/06/ap_navy_uavs_060208/