F-35 Will Be Last Of Traditional Aircraft

The top gun of the future will be a robot - not your hormone-pumping human aviator. Unmanned aircraft will be the key to the modern battlefield as the traditional fighter aircraft is phased out, say industry analysts. In fact, some believe the F-35 may well be the end of the line for American fighters. This was the most obvious change at last month's Asian Aerospace 2004 fair in Singapore. By presenting analyses and demonstration charts, industry analysts described the decline of the traditional fighter jet. All agreed this would mark the end of one era and the beginning of a new one -- when the unmanned aircraft will lead the way into the modern battlefield.

This prediction is undoubtedly sending anxiety chills down the spines of air industry executives who fear they are behind time in entering the new emerging market. They realize existing 21st-century fighter jets and bombers will remain in service, though more on the basis of continuous upgrading, especially in the area of avionics and electronic devices. Their rationale supporting the determination unmanned aircraft, will in the very near future, take a leading role, is connected to rapid developments of sophisticated warfare techniques. Accelerated technological advancements are expected to prevent the growing danger to pilots and crews in traditionally manned planes. Many of them are already overwhelmed with high-tech tasks or with learning and coping with new, almost sci-fi equipment being installed in their cockpits.

The most celebrated exhibit was the one representing Israel's aircraft industry. The success story around Israeli electronic developments and other technological advances goes back to times when other, much stronger nations, refused to recognize the value of unmanned aircraft. Israel demonstrated and proved the battlefield value of medium or even small-unmanned aircraft already in the early '70s.

Shlomo Tzakh, leading project planner in the engineering division at the Israel aircraft industry company, who also directs and oversees the development of unmanned aircraft, told journalists, "The area of unmanned vehicles leads today in the development of aircraft for military purposes. The assumption among members of military aeronautics is indeed that the U.S. F-35 is going to be the last manned aircraft to be developed."

Tzakh and other experts who met at the Singapore event, say this is the primary reason for the rapid growth in the development and manufacturing of unmanned aircraft. According to Tzakh and Israeli aircraft industry calculations, investments in these and in similar products, is going to grow seven times within one decade. Tzakh is famous for being cautious, always holding on to prudence rather than being hasty. It is, therefore, quite safe to expect these changes at a significantly faster rate.

While most developers wrestle with problems already solved by the Israeli aircraft industry in the last few years, the planning division, as well as planners in Rafael, Israel's Research and Development Defense Institute, and some companies operating in the free market and teaming with the U.S. aeronautic industry, are now moving toward the development of unmanned cargo planes, capable also of being used as a platform for a variety of intelligence and weapon systems.

One of the participants in the Singapore exhibition said the U.S. industry is examining ways to turn regular military transporters into unmanned vehicles, while the Israeli preferred method is to plan an unmanned plane right from the beginning. A cargo aircraft capable of carrying 10 tons of goods, or equipment, stored in containers hooked to its belly, is now in the early drafting stages. This Israeli model will have a wing span of 25 meters, it will be driven by two engines and weigh 30 tons on take off. Some analysts have speculated the model, although dubbed "cargo plane," will have almost infinite military uses, including becoming another link in a missile defense project.

A Chinese observer who was familiar with the project said it would definitely be capable of carrying into a hostile environment a large amount of missiles aimed at intercepting enemy missiles. He also added it could be used as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft, capable of detecting and destroying under water targets. The Israeli concept states that developing an unmanned aircraft robot, acting in an automatic way, is much more feasible than spending time and efforts on re-configuring existing transporters. Tzakh refused to reveal any information about the production date of the Israeli system but said that in the U.S. and Europe many believe such a platform will be a reality in the 2020s.

An Israeli Internet newspaper quoted Tzakh saying the Israeli aircraft industry is regarded as a world leader in the development of unmanned aircraft. Two Israeli models are in active service with the U.S. Army and Navy, while in Europe the Israeli aircraft industry is leading a classified research with 40 different organizations from all corners of the European Union.

The Israeli air force is proud to note that historically it was the first to use unmanned aircraft in its tactical and strategic operations. Unmanned aircraft of the Searcher family, used during the 1982 Lebanon war, was instrumental in discovering and pinpointing Syrian anti-aircraft batteries, which were then destroyed. Based on the Searcher's achievements, the U.S. Navy cooperated with the Israeli aircraft industry in the development of the Pioneer, which proved a success in the first Gulf War of 1991. The magazine article also revealed that during the '90s the U.S. Army commissioned a much more sophisticated unmanned aircraft, the Hunter, which was built by Israel and the American TRW Company. Military analysts agree the Hunter was a complete success during the operations in Kosovo and last year's war in Iraq. TRW was purchased by Northrop-Grumman who is now trying to provide the Hunter with attack capabilities by carrying an array of missiles.

Among others it was also learned the Israeli aircraft industry is operating a futuristic unit now focusing on two separate, yet parallel efforts: the design of heavy unmanned aircraft and that of light naval platforms. Launching tests of a 300-gram drone designed for battlefield control by small units were successfully conducted in Israel and proven as an intelligence asset during operations in the West Bank and Gaza. This specific model, now being manufactured for unspecified clients, is called Micro. It weighs 300 grams, carries a 20-gram camera with a 35-minute durability, and has a flight ceiling of 300 meters. The latest development of the Micro is specifically to be used by ground forces involved in urban counter insurgency activity.

Some of the conclusions to be drawn from the Singapore exhibition point to the fact the military should shift a lot more attention to the endless possibilities of unmanned aircraft and submarines, as well as to other robotic military vehicles and equipment. These new inventions will undoubtedly change the face of the modern battlefield in a dramatic way that on the long run will prove as decisive as the arrival of the first flying machines over the battlefields of the First World War.

FMI: www.iaf.org.il/iaf/doa_iis.dll/Serve/level/English/1.3.html