We're the Military and Airpower Guys of Jonah Goldberg of National Review Online + a stray we found wandering around looking lost. All original material JHD, BHD, JR, WT, and KA 2003-2010 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:02:54 Z Movable Type 4.12 en Copyright 2012 http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Jim Dunnigan has a piece in yesterday's FYEO "Dirty Little Secrets" column that John forwarded to me. I was *not* impressed with his reporting and analysis. Dunnigan's words in Italics, my response in Bold. American infantry are beginning to fear that the U.S. Air Force will take away their UAVs. And therein lies a very curious situation . What an odd thing to say…but it gets better…a lot better… After half a century of losing out to the U.S. Air Force in the competition for budget dollars, the American Army is making a major comeback. Ironically, it’s all about technology.... http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html Mon, 11 Apr 2005 06:20:34 -0600 Sorry, Dusty: Tongue in cheek, bit harder, etc. Cheers JMH http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21729 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21729 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 21:07:50 -0600 Hmmm, *checks his Joint Firepower and Targeteer diplomas*. Whew! Not me. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21724 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21724 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 18:47:03 -0600 JMH, I heartily disagree. There isn't one cogent (much less supported) point in the entire article. His "data" is nothing more than a series of rants and innuendo normally expected of a retired soldier still smarting from the fact that Orville and Wilbur Wright invented something he is incapable of understanding. He makes Maureen Dowd sound like George Will. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21709 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21709 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 15:23:33 -0600 The Air Force has it's place but unfortunately the "Empire Builder" in all of us takes over when money and power are in the offering. The Army should be in charge of it's own close ground support and observation. This includes the unmanned vehicles. Want to see what a blunder nest is read about John Boyd. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21708 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21708 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 14:59:27 -0600 I think Mr Dunnigan makes some good points in the article. And most pilots are quick to exite, and can be easily induced to rant with fervour. Or as one pigeon said to another whilst hovering above St Mark's Square: "Sort of takes the skill out of it." Ha: PGW= Precision Guided Weapon? No! "Please God Why" Pilots and Accuracy? Only in the dictionary! Cheers JMH http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21701 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21701 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 13:39:24 -0600 Moi? Trying to get you to *post*? On things AF-related? Perish the thought! Of course, check your email... hehehehehehehheh. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21680 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21680 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 09:36:15 -0600 Sanger, Yup...I think John sent me the original article just to get a rise out of me. It worked. http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21679 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21679 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 09:25:42 -0600 Dusty, You were nice. Dunnigan sounds like a clueless hack stirring a pot just to make himself sound like he knows what he's talking about. In fact, a good friend of mine is a long-time Army Aviator attending the AWC at Maxwell. Believe me when I say that if anyone knows about UAVs, Drones, and other airborne Army IEW assets, HE is the guy. We have talked some about this stuff. What I got from those conversations is that everyone is using UAVs, robots, drones, and EVERY other kind of techno toy they can get their hands on, as often as they can do it, because that stuff saves lives and makes life a LOT easier. And it is not a matter of the Army taking things from the AF, or vice versa, because as you well know, the mission, the "granularity," and the altitude are different. Of course, there are long term issues pertaining to the use of UCAVs, but that is purely an AF issue because, as I've mentioned before, CAS is still a bit too fuzzy to leave up to robots. I think CAS will always require some kind of human on site, at least as long as ground combat requires people on site (vice robots fighting)... Even more to the point, I think, is that the AF cannot possibly support all the needs of the Army, so the Army is going to take up the slack where it can. I expect there will be (and is) some overlap of capabilities, but that's more a matter of feature sets than of one Service trying to take over the other's job. I am sure all of this will work itself out, but I'd also bet it has next to nothing to do with one group trying to prevent the other from doing the job. At least I certainly hope that's true. ~SangerM http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21678 http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/2005/04/cleared_in_hot.html#comment-21678 Mon, 11 Apr 2005 09:02:10 -0600