#2
Debka is a source too..
Argument is interesting:
At 17:55 p.m., Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Morsi dropped a bombshell in Cairo. In one fell swoop, he smashed the Egyptian military clique ruling the country for decades, sacked the Supreme Military Council running Egypt since March 2011 and cut the generals off from their business empire by appropriating the defense ministry and military industry.
That fateful eight hours-less-five-minutes have forced Israelâs leaders to take a second look at their plans for Iran.
Morsiâs lightning decisions were the finishing touches that proved the Islamist Bedouin terror attacks in Sinai of Aug. 5 fitted neatly into a secret master plan hatched by Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood to seize full control of rule in Cairo
Posted by: Water Modem ||
08/13/2012 12:54 Comments ||
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#3
Not too sure about the coup part - who has the most guns?
Posted by: Barbara ||
08/13/2012 20:15 Comments ||
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Wife and I are working on a bumper sticker. It says "coexist" using the emblems of hate groups. Hammer & Sickle for the 'C', swastika for the 'X' -- you get the idea.
Well, we are kind of stuck on the 'E'. Best we have so far is the crosswheel emblem from the KKK.
#4
Put a bumper sticker on your car like this and you are certain to get your car seriously messed over by the current crop of far leftists and Bama supporters. Think Occupy Wall Streeters and anarchists and the mess they created; defecating on police cars for example. I'd be wary.
#11
@Iblis
I think for a bumper sticker this looks too difficult to decipher. The idea is very interesting but maybe you should provide a bit more help to the casual reader.
Posted by: European Conservative ||
08/13/2012 21:43 Comments ||
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#12
Broadhead's right.
Posted by: Barbara ||
08/13/2012 22:03 Comments ||
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Strategypage. Interesting look inside Drone World...
UAVs have become where the action is. There are more UAVs in action over Afghanistan and other war zones, than all other air force combat aircraft. So, if you want to see some action, you need to be a UAV driver. This has not been enough to lure many fighter pilots away from their "fast movers." The UAV operators, especially those who are not pilots are not considered the equal of the pilots. This despite the fact that flying manned combat aircraft is now far safer than it has ever been. For a combat pilot who owns a motorcycle or sports car, they are probably safer overseas flying combat missions over Afghanistan than at home, because there is much lower risk of death or injury from motor vehicle mishaps. Most of the medals awarded to air force personnel for combat in the last decade have gone to enlisted airmen who volunteer to spend a year with the army in the combat zone, to help with support jobs.
The air force was under a lot of pressure to keep paying TDY pilots flight pay and to award medals usually reserved for success in flight operations. While UAV operators undergo a lot more stress than pilots (because the operators "fly" a lot more each month) the operators are still working from the ground, not an airborne cockpit and so are not given awards and bonuses due real pilots.
But the fighter pilots forced to do a three year tour with UAVs don't regret it. While the duty is often tedious, UAV operators do eight hour shifts, and you are focused on the ground, where the enemy, and the action, is. Instead of a cockpit, UAV operators sit in front of multiple flat panel displays (showing system status, maps, chat room discussions with troops and other operators, and video from the cameras), and interact via a joystick, rudder control and a keyboard. While UAV operators sometimes (in about three percent of missions) fire Hellfire missiles, most of their work is more like a detectives' stakeout, watching for suspicious activity, and passing on video, and observations, to the ground troops. Some air force pilots are attracted to UAV duty because they see this as the future, but most existing pilots see it as not what they signed up for and the majority leaves as soon as they can. The air force then has to train another TDY pilot, who will also leave after three years, and take their experience with them. That will only end when enough pilots decide to become 18Xs and are joined by a sufficient number of non-pilot operators.
Meanwhile, the army already uses NCOs trained specifically for UAV operation, while the air force insists all operators be officers. The army has no operator shortage. The air force is under pressure (both from within, and outside, the air force) to allow NCOs to be career UAV operators. But it will probably stay with officers or, as the army does with helicopter pilots, using warrant officers (officers who concentrate on their technical specialty, and not command duties).
#2
Pilot on a bomber with multiple crew is different from bombardiers. Pilot is the command authority over all the crew. Bombardier might fly the plane briefly, but he isn't in command of crew.
The mission would depend on the mission. A recon drone could be an NCO. A recon drone with a weapon should have an officer in charge but could be a warrant officer. When we evolve to the point where we have unmanned aircraft of the size a capability of an F-15, it should be a commissioned officer.
#5
We've seen this sort of prestige-chasing before. Until manned fighters are completely replaced, which I don't think will happen, we'll need both. But both sides nee some sense of reward.
I remember that A-10 Warthog pilots felt as though they were falling behind in the promotion race. The troops on the ground appreciated them though. The Navy needs minesweepers, but no one wants to captain them.
Posted by: Eric Jablow ||
08/13/2012 6:21 Comments ||
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#6
Nothing is more rewarding than sitting in front of a big screen and watching a UAV such as a Warrior Alpha, Tiger Shark, or other platform (flown by crusty old contractors or tech-savy young 25 year old geeks), conduct an ISR (Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnisance) mission, spot and confirm an enemy force, and gain approval for a pair of A-10's to come it and take care of business. Keeping the UAV aloft and orbiting during and after the strike permits great BDA (bomb damage assessment) and lots of 'HIGH-FIVES' in the TOC (tactical operations center) as well.
My personal A=10 preference? The 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (EFS) the famed Flying Tigers of course. Hat tip and a crisp salute to those lads.
When it comes to ISR and kinetics, it's an all of the above approach.
#9
So, who said that only a certified pilot can fly a UAV?
The Air Force senior command (which IIRC was relieved in part because of foot dragging in getting the program running, replaced by a Transport Driver rather than another Fighter Jock.)
#10
While UAV operators undergo a lot more stress than pilots (because the operators "fly" a lot more each month) the operators are still working from the ground, not an airborne cockpit and so are not given awards and bonuses due real pilots.
Certainly there must be a significant amount of workload stress due to extended vigilance and monitoring for UAV operators but it just doesn't seem like the pucker factor is there for UAV operators as compared to fast movers or helicopters pilots in combat.
#12
I imagine they will rethink some things and end up with specialists (non-pilots) flying UAV. We might get some kind of UAV useful in aerial combat, those would still need pilots but the normal drones we have now? Sort of overkill having a pilot.
#14
Personally I would like to see "non pilots" flying UAVs. A UAV pilot doesn't need the top notch physical conditioning that a fighter jock does. Nor does he/she need 20/20 vision, for example. I realize that UAV pilots need pilot training for things like being aware of the airspace around the vehicle, etc. But slugs like me could pilot a UAV, with training.
Posted by: Rambler in Virginia ||
08/13/2012 23:07 Comments ||
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Posted by: Water Modem ||
08/13/2012 12:50 ||
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#1
For some reason these quotes come to mind.
Harry Callahan: I know what you're thinking. "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement I kind of lost track myself. But being as this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, and would blow your head clean off, you've got to ask yourself one question: Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
[after a battered crook has accused Harry of beating him]
Chief: Have you been following that man?
Harry Callahan: Yeah, I've been following him on my own time. And anybody can tell I didn't do that to him.
Chief: How?
Harry Callahan: Cause he looks too damn good, that's how!
Israel has been surrounded since 1948. If Iran and/or Egypt feel lucky, that would be a huge mistake.
#2
Iran has times said that any attack by Israel will be deemed the same as an attack by the US or US-West which would validate an Iranian counterresponse, including but not limited to TerrOPs agz US, Israeli ME + International targets = personages, interests, etc.
Pesky Persians gotta be Pesky, + truth be told they like it that way - by Iran's own scope, IT WILL NOT BE JUST AN ISRAELI-IRAN MIL CONFLICT OR LIMITED TO JUST THE MIDDLE EAST, + IT WILL A BE A DECISIVE "WAR TO THE DEATH" = 'WAR OF ANNIHILATION". IMO it will be a "long war" to despite any periods of intermediate "quiet/lull".
Radical Islam's jihad is already "global/
universal/international" by definition - an extra-Regional ME mil conflict seemingly initiated by Israel will only serve to complement it. IRAN + JIHADIS WILL NOT BELIEVE THAT THE US PER SE DID NOT APPROVE OF ISRAEL'S ACTION.
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