ABSTRACT The intent of this proposal argument is to show that manned aircraft should be utilized in combat and multi-role missions over Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The major differences between manned and unmanned aircraft will be explored. The issues of cost, payload capacity, situational awareness and effectiveness, their role in combat conditions, and the pilot’s decision making capabilities in both aircraft will all be covered in the proposal. In addition, the history and how each type of aircraft came about will be discussed in order to show the experience level and usefulness of manned and unmanned aircraft. Many of the current ideas the military has about what should be the course of action when it comes to manned and unmanned aircraft will be included. Any good or bad consequences of the current proposals will also be discussed. Finally, the future for manned and unmanned aircraft will be reviewed.

INTRODUCTION
The United States Navy’s manned aircraft are more effective in aerial combat and multi-role missions than Unmanned Arial Vehicles or UAV drones. Exclusively utilizing unmanned aircraft in place of manned fighter and attack aircraft could lead to military failures in combat situations. Pilots controlling the Unmanned Arial Vehicle or UAV drones from remote locations are incapable of making split second decisions or having the awareness that pilots in the cockpit on location possess. Over the past 80 years, the U.S. Navy has trained some of the most elite pilots in the world to fly the most sophisticated and technologically advanced manned aircraft developed for the military. The United State’s investment in manned missions is necessary to maximize the efficiency of the advancing weaponry technology being developed for global defense.

BODY
As Lieutenant Commander Marks explained on behalf of the Unites States Navy:
A UAV drone is an unmanned aerial vehicle defined as a powered, aerial vehicle that does not carry a human operator. The unmanned aerial vehicles aerodynamic forces provide lift while being flown autonomously or piloted remotely. They are expandable and can carry a lethal or non-lethal payload. The primary function of the UAV is airborne surveillance reconnaissance and target acquisition.
The F9F Panther became the first Navy manned jet fighter to shoot down another fighter in 1947 (Pike). Through 2040, the F-35 will be the premier strike aircraft, second only to the F-22 Raptor (Jean). These manned jets are employed for air superiority, neutralizing enemy aircraft, and providing air support. Manned aircraft are equipped with copious types of ordinances for a variety of situations that the UAV’s are lacking. Those ordinances used for day and night strikes include precision guided weapons, anti- air warfare, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control, and capabilities as a tanker (Weitz). Military victory is dependent on the flexibility to protect allied airspace, as well as eliminating ground targets that only manned aircraft can provide.
The deployment of UAV’s has only recently started, making its first appearance in 1999 (Colon). According to the United States Department of the Navy, unmanned aircraft make up one percent of the United State’s aerial inventory. Raul Colon wrote in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: A Brief Look at the United States UAV-RPA Strategic Vision, “UAV’s have been used by the Department of Defense in a number of countries including the United States, Germany, and Israel.” The UAV’s have limited deployment on a few fronts, including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo, where these missions gave the United States and its allies intelligence about strategic targets around the world. The UAV’s currently in service are the Predator, the Global Hawk, Dark Star, Hauler, Heron, and the Eagle (Lt. Cmdr. Marks). These aircraft fly at high altitudes for surveillance operations, but are ineffective in air to air combat situations because of lack of speed and air maneuverability.
Reaching speeds up to mach 1.8, the manned fighter and attack aircraft are the fastest vehicles the United States Navy flies (Carpenter). The F/A 18 Super Hornets are the U.S. Navy’s most current attack fighter. The F/A 18 E and F models have many characteristics that surpass those of any other attack fighter aircraft. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the F/A 18 Super Hornet can produce 22,000 pounds of static thrust per engine in order to operate at full potential with a ceiling of 50,000 feet. During combat, the average flight range is 1275 miles with a maximum fuel capacity of 14,000 pounds of jet fuel in air re-fueling situations (Amarelo).
As outlined by Lieutenant Commander Marks for the United States Department of the Navy, on average, an unmanned aerial vehicle has a maximum cruising speed of only 135 miles per hour. A UAV is capable of flying a range of 400 nautical miles at an altitude up to 25,000 feet. They are capable of carrying an average payload of 450 pounds with a fuel capacity of 100 gals or 656 pounds. “The payload consists of an electro-optical, infrared camera and synthetic aperture radar. The targeting system provides real-time imagery selectable between infrared and day vision, as well as laser designation capability” (Marks). However, their usefulness is limited to scouting operations with their payload capacity restricting the threshold for weapons on board. The average cost of the F/A 18 manned fighter plane is $35 million (Amarelo). Thirty two F-35 aircraft have already been ordered and are being tested for combat effectiveness with an estimated cost of $156 million dollars per aircraft (United States). According to the Federation of American Scientists, manned aircraft have a cost range from $37 million for fighters and $1.2 billion for a B-2 Bomber. Although costly, manned aircraft are more cost effective per dollar because of the payload capacity and potential life span than UAVs. A newly developed fighter jet has a projected service length of 70 to 80 years, while a UAV’s average lifespan is still undetermined.
Marc Herold wrote in the article “The Problem with Predator”, the costs of a UAV can range from $30,000.00 dollars per unit to $57 million dollars. The less expensive UAV systems must be replaced at a much greater rate than manned aircraft. The lack of defense capabilities and overall maneuverability has resulted in their destruction in hostile zones increasing the rate of replacement. Since 2010, the Pentagon has asked for $1.39 billion dollars to be allocated to UAV development programs. Funding is projected to reach $10 billion dollars over the next decade (Harold). Even though some UAV’s are less expensive to produce, they are incapable of competing with the usefulness per dollar invested developing the proficiency of fighter planes.
For example, the F/A18 Super Hornets can assist the Navy by fulfilling multiple roles. The Super Hornets can also be utilized as tankers and carry up to 14,000 pounds of jet fuel in the five external tanks located on the wings. The Super Hornet has been deployed in the Persian Gulf and southern Iraq. The Super Hornet’s first experience took place just before the Persian Gulf War. The Super Hornet’s successful performance inspired the Navy’s effort to rebuild its tactical aviation program (Carpenter).
In the future, the F-35 is projected to be four times more effective than previous fighters in air-to-air combat and eight times more effective in air-to-ground warfare (United States). F/A 18 Super Hornet made its conflict entry, striking defense sites in southern IRAQ in March of 2003 (Carpenter). Improvements are being scheduled for BLAK 2 aircraft including a redesigned forward fuselage. It is also being fitted with new mission computers, a fiber-optic network, and next generation sidewinder air-to-air missiles (United States).
The U.S. Navy is still upgrading and ordering new manned aircraft. System development and demonstration for an electronic attack version of the Super Hornet has been approved, according to the United States Department of the Navy. The Super Hornet has 11 weapon stations with two additional wing store stations and will support a full range of armaments (Carpenter). Included are a JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munitions), JSOW (Joint Stand- off Weapon), and JASSM (Joint Air-to-Air Surface Stand-off Missile) (Carpenter). All of these are GPS (Global Positioning System) guided armaments.
Unlike UAV’s, new changes to manned aircraft increased their importance to the troops on the ground. John Carpenter wrote, “The F/A 18 Super Hornet, consists of a new integrated defensive countermeasure system that provides coordinated situation awareness and manages the on-board and off-board deception countermeasures. The countermeasures consist of expendable decoys, signal, and frequency control of emissions.” He also explained in order to allow increased air flow to the engines, the F/A-18 Super Hornet air inlets have recently been upgraded, increasing the fuel capacity by 3,600 pounds. Carpenter states, “This is a thirty three percent higher fuel capacity than they had before and will extend the mission radius by up to forty percent.” The aircraft are now capable of providing support for a longer period of time and still produce more firepower than any UAV drones on the battlefield today.
Furthermore, a new multifunctional information distribution system, or MIDs, has been placed in the F/A 18’s (Amarelo). Pilots can now have a visual of the locations of all friendly and enemy forces at all times. Navy officials are enthusiastic about the joint helmet mounted cueing system which Boeing is developing for F/A 18 pilots (Weitz). The helmet displays information on the interior of the visor, making data continuously visible to the pilot. Increasing a pilot’s situational awareness is a major advantage, compared to that of UAV pilots. Pilots of manned aircraft will now have another advantage during combat and be able to make more informed decisions than remote pilots of unmanned aircraft.
The major difference between manned and unmanned aircraft is the location of the pilot and the effect that has on the outcome of a mission. UAV’s are the military’s greatest asset when it comes to reconnaissance and surveillance missions. However, manned aircraft are an essential part of having air superiority by enabling the pilot to make split second decisions from the cockpit in combat situations. In addition, the pilot of a manned aircraft is able to see the battle unfold through his or her own eyes from only a short distance away. Unmanned aircraft pilots have to rely on what they see through the camera located on the UAV. This can obviously be a hazard to troops on the ground, because the pilot is not able to see every aspect of the battlefield.

CONCLUSION
The United States Navy currently has some of the most superior pilots in the world. The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles could never replace the extraordinary job manned aircraft perform in air to air and air to ground combat situations. Fighter and attack planes are equipped with ordinances that enable flexibility and maneuverability in countless situations, unlike the UAVs. The split second decision capability during combat makes manned aircraft an essential part of maintaining air superiority and ground support. Additionally, pilots of manned aircraft view the unfolding battle from the cockpit, where as piloting unmanned aircraft has visual limits. The financial commitment dedicated to the technological advancements of manned fighter and attack aircraft has solidified their superiority. Utilizing manned fighter and attack aircraft in air to air combat and as ground support unquestionably ensures a long, prosperous, and successful means of defending the United States in any current and future military operation.

RECOMMENDATIONS PAGE

Considering the current political and economic position of the United States in the world, I recommend that a greater percentage of military spending be allotted for manned aircraft than unmanned aircraft. Funding for future UAV projects should be utilized to upgrade unmanned aircraft currently in service. In addition, a portion of those monies should be diverted into advancing our manned aircraft fleet. Future projects regarding testing of unmanned aircraft in air-to-air combat situations are unnecessary, at this time, because manned aircraft are faster, have a greater payload capacity, and superior defense capabilities. The political situation in the Middle East is becoming more volatile and the threat of another attack on United States soil is a very real possibility. Our focus must be on the increasing necessity for manned aircraft, which is continuing to grow every day. The proposed military budget cuts may result in less military pilots being trained. This could have a devastating impact on the strength of the Unites States military. The future decision to keep the pilot in the cockpit must be made with our national security in mind.

WORKS CITED PAGE

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