The future of aerial warfare is in question.
With the rapid deployment of drones in warfare, aerial duels as we know may be different forever.
Drones will eventually displace expensive fighter jets and fighter pilots who require long training investments.
The Rise of Drones
The wildly over-budget Joint Strike Fighter project is expected to cost around USD 382 billion, a staggering figure that’s comparable to the 2011 GDP of South Africa.
The unit cost of the F-35A, F-35B, and F-35C variants ranges from USD 154m to USD 237.7m.
In contrast, the F-22 Raptor’s unit cost is around USD 400m.
The Pentagon has publicly criticized Lockheed Martin’s performance on the F-35 program, raising questions about the efficiency gains of these expensive projects.
Meanwhile, drones have been making impressive strides.
Not only did UAV attacks rise tenfold under President Barack Obama, but in 2012, more drone pilots were trained than ordinary fighter jet and bomber pilots.
The unmanned aerial vehicles make up the fastest-growing segment within the US Air Force.
Drones: The fastest-growing segment
The development is stunning: from small, insect-sized spy drones to massive, hyper-sonic jets.
Rumours about an insect spy drone that can inject toxins into enemies might be exaggerated, but the field for UAVs is vast.
Steve, a pilot who now teaches students how to fly UAVs at Holloman AFB, points out that often, the weak point is the pilot and investments in pilot safety are crucial.
When a UAV is lost, another one can be sent, eliminating the need for rescue missions.
Efficiency Gains through Drones
The shift towards drones is largely driven by budget cuts for traditional fighter jets and the asymmetric, borderless war against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
Pilots who once dreamed of flying real fighter jets are now volunteering to fly Predator drones and other UAVs.
Sensors can’t compensate for everything, but the development is impressive.
Drones vs. Manned Fighter Aircraft
Some argue that drones will never be programmed to have human thoughts or emotions, which are sometimes necessary in complex situations.
Remote operators (pilots) are still needed to make critical decisions, and even then, drones lack the situational awareness that a pilot in the cockpit has.
However, proponents of drones argue that technology is already advancing rapidly, with brain-computer interfaces and unmanned hyper-sonic jets in development.
The Future of Aerial Warfare
It’s unlikely that fighter jets will be replaced entirely by drones anytime soon.
Manned fighter aircraft still have a crucial role to play, especially in situations requiring human judgment and reaction.
However, as drones continue to evolve, they will undoubtedly take on more tasks, and their development will remain fast-paced.
Airshows and the MiG-29 OVT
In the end, will we see fighter jets only at airshows? Probably not very soon, but more and more tasks will be shifted to drones.
Russia have shown impressive performance with their MiG-29 OVT, a vector thrust variant that has stunned audiences at airshows.
The Next Generation Air Dominance Fighter
Recent announcements from the USAF and Lockheed have confirmed that the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter (6th gen) will be manned.
This alleviates concerns that manned fighters will be phased out anytime soon.
As the tech continues to evolve, it’s clear that both drones and manned fighter jets will coexist, each serving specific purposes in modern aerial warfare.
While it’s unlikely that fighter jets will be entirely replaced by drones, it’s clear that drones will continue to play an increasingly important role in various tasks.
As technology advances, we can expect to see both drones and manned fighter jets working together to ensure aerial dominance.
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