Gen.: Unmanned tactical aircraft not on horizon

Gen.: Unmanned tactical aircraft not on horizon
By John T. Bennett - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Dec 3, 2009 19:31:15 EST

Although the military has fielded many new unmanned aircraft in recent years, the Pentagon is far from sending the last manned war plane into combat, Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula said Thursday.

“We haven’t even seen the horizon yet” on the last manned tactical aircraft, Deptula, Air Force deputy chief of staff for ISR, said during taping of a primetime edition of “This Week in Defense News” at the Newseum in Washington.

The episode, which focuses on the future of unmanned military platforms, will air in the Washington area on WUSA (channel 9) at 9 p.m. next Tuesday. It will also be available online. “This Week in Defense News” airs Sunday mornings on WUSA.

As the defense community debates the future of combat tactical aviation, Deptula said during the taping that any possible fielding of a fleet of totally unmanned — and even totally autonomous — combat planes is many years away.

That’s because there is no sensor package capable of “360-degree situational awareness that can process information” and decide on how to act upon it better than the human brain, he said.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/military_twidn_special_120309w/