The Pros And Cons Of The United States Air Force

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In September 2009, the United States Air Force (USAF) graduated its first pilot training class that did not receive flight training.1 These pilots are not headed for the cockpit but to the controls of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). In 2009, the USAF trained more UAS pilots than fighter or bomber pilots2 in an attempt to meet what the former commander of United
States Central Command labeled an “insatiable need” for UAS.3 While the
UAS “surge” began under President Bush, President Obama is expanding both UAS acquisition and their use.4 The proposed 2011 defense budget would double UAS production and for the first time the USAF will order more UAS than manned

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