F-35 derivative as F-X or F/A-XX

[madrat]

Drones really excel in one area and that's repetition. The jet jockeys can still gain all the glory of hunting. The drones can pound rock all around the clock. They don't need even a pat on the back.

The real challenge will be feeding the machine uninterrupted.

[archeman]

I have no idea why my input is needed. The concept is very complicated, not helped by AI being in infancy at moment. Decisions makers back at base need to have high bandwidth real time access to what the UAV sees - most likely. How is that access guaranteed? Sure the UAV may have good sensor fusion to make a decision for guaranteed fixed targets but what about flying objects of the UFO kind - Unidentified and not in the decision matrix for example. This concept is way to complicated probably to give a scenario because too much needs to be assumed. A pilot/aircrew have responsibilities which the UAV does not - unless UAVs can be hung drawn and quartered to the satisfaction of all concerned.

UAVs will make great strides over the decades, doing more and more robotically. I'm loathe to predict the future. What I read in the USMC 2015 future section is that pilots will be more and more involved in ways that are not really clear at moment - at strategic and tactical levels both - in conjunction with all the other networked assets. This is mind boggling stuff (to me) which the naysayers do not want to think about (because their brains hurt - much like mine when I do). However SLDinfo posts have a lot of pointers to the future; which are not always easy to comprehend at our ignorant public level. It is salutary that the RAAF (with ADF assets) have invested heavily in networking. It is just amazing. The pilots are the sharp end will make big decisions, whilst their training needs to reflect this [new] component. How UAVs cope I do not know but they will be involved - under human control at some level however.

There are people on this forum with more experience of these issues that will have a better concept of what is ahead.

I'm not sure the UAV A2A engagement will need to cover completely new ground that has never been thunk with human minds before. Just substitute Patriot Battery for the word UAV in the above and it becomes clear that everyday the Army is dealing with remote anti-aircraft assets that have to sort out all the discovery and unknown target problems described above and they manage to do it. Every day.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/lib ... 85/ch5.htm

Yes sometimes a mistake is made and a Friendly Fire incident happens but they are few relatively speaking.

[madrat]

Drones could survive much higher launch speeds to probe and sort bogies, then pass the information to battlespace management.

[steakanddoritos]

No mercy.

[steakanddoritos]

On another note, an engineer did a serious study on a supersized F-35 derivative with a lengthened fuselage, expanded internal weapons bays and no vertical tails.


http://www.slideshare.net/GeoffreyWardl ... esentation
Slide 37 to slide 42.

[SpudmanWP]

Here is his more detailed study

https://lnkd.in/dQQCnJF

[steakanddoritos]