United SysAdmin Force

ARTICLE: Air Force Training More Pilots for Drones Than for Manned Planes, By Walter Pincus, Washington Post, August 11, 2009

A serious tipping point reached by the Air Force.

It represents the service logically finding its way into a significant SysAdmin role.

Comments

[David Emery]

>It represents the service logically finding its way into a significant SysAdmin role.

How? This does represent a significant change by the USAF over manned aircraft and UAVs have definitely proven their worth (both cost-effective and politically easier than manned aircraft for precision strike.) Is this kind of precision strike a significant contribution to SysAdmin?

Seems to me the USAF should also be emphasizing theatre airlift, as the ability to move both forces and construction stuff, etc, within theatre is a great SysAdmin resource.

Also, I'd like to see a replacement for the A-10, with similar loiter and survivability. There's something to be said for a pair of A-10s hovering over a target area to get the attention of the Bad Guys....

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Regarding the venerable "Wart Hog' . . No redesign needed . . Gawd forbid!

Once in a great while, our Air Force is blessed with a design that can be literally, "all things" with no real time limitations . . The Herky Bird is one, the Wart Hog, another . . They are designs that may be modified in detail, but so far, nothing has been created that can replace the basic airframe design and it's properties . .

Possibly, the F-16 could end up being a third . . .

[David Sutton]

Agree on this point, that while USAF moving toward drone is a great thing unto itself, I don’t see how it really represents a shift to Sys-Admin. Unless we see a significant re-direct in staffing toward sys-admin type duties like airlift and CAS for those administrators on the ground.

Because there’s nothing like a group of marines, with A-10’s on backup to say hey, leave these engineers be while they build this here road through your desolate wasteland of a country.

As to the re-design of the A-10, don’t get me wrong, love the hog but there isn’t an airframe around that can’t be made better, easier to fly, harder to hit and of course most importantly prettier!

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David's Quote: "As to the re-design of the A-10, don’t get me wrong, love the hog but there isn’t an airframe around that can’t be made better, easier to fly, harder to hit and of course most importantly prettier!"

Not to quibble, but, give the generals in the Pentagon a little rope and you'll have another F-22 . . Form follows function, and that makes the Wart Hog beautiful . . ask the guy who flies one . .

Same with the Herky Bird. The Pentagon has asked for a "pure jet" replacement several times . . White elephants abound and currently we're at the "C-130J" model . . still doing the job after 53 years!