Apparently, I'm too stupid to fly a plane and do not understand the complex world of CONUS/International navigation and flight rules. But if my crew violates any of the said rules, guess who gets Q3'd along with them?
Gen Swartz said as much in an interview a few years back.
By Scott Fontaine - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Oct 10, 2010 14:23:26 EDT
Gen. Norton Schwartz again shot down suggestions the service will turn to its enlisted force to pilot unmanned aircraft.
The Air Force uses its unmanned aircraft for firing missiles — unlike the smaller, often-weaponless drones the Army flies for surveillance missions, Schwartz said at an Oct. 6 speech to government employees in Washington, D.C. The Army allows enlisted soldiers to fly unmanned aircraft, while its warrant officers fly helicopters.
The Air Force, though, allows only officers to fly unmanned planes. Some engineers and security forces airmen occasionally operate Army drones for force-protection purposes.
“The reality is that the Army operates [remotely piloted aircraft] platforms on a very tactical mode — close-in, relatively small platforms,” Schwartz said. “These are not strategic.”
He offered as an example the recent delivery of RQ-4 Global Hawks to overseas airfields in Guam and Italy.
“I would argue there isn’t an Army remotely piloted aircraft operator that has a clue about how to operate in international airspace,” he said. “This isn’t a pejorative comment. I’m just saying what the reality is.”