US Military weighs drone cutbacks

Last updated 13:59 12/02/2013

DRONE ON: The United States' military's new Taranis stealth Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

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If the Pentagon does slow the huge building and deployment programme, which was ordered several years ago by then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates, it won't affect the CIA drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and elsewhere against terror suspects. Those strikes were brought centre stage last week during the confirmation hearing for White House counter-terror chief John Brennan, President Barack Obama's pick to lead the CIA.

General Mike Hostage, commander of Air Combat Command, said senior leaders are analysing the military's drone needs and discussions are beginning. But he said the current number patrolling the skies overseas may already be more than the service can afford to maintain.

Overall, Pentagon spending on unmanned aircraft has jumped from US$284 million in 2000 to nearly US$4 billion in the past fiscal year, while the number of drones owned by the Pentagon has rocketed from less than 200 in 2002 to at least 7,500 now. The bulk of those drones are small, shoulder-launched Ravens owned by the Army.


The analysis began before Brennan's confirmation hearings, where he was questioned sharply about the CIA's use of drones to kill terror suspects, including American citizens overseas. The CIA gets its attack drones from the Air Force fleet, but any decision to stop building them would be unlikely to have any effect on that program.


There has been a seemingly insatiable appetite within the military for the unmanned hunter/killers, particularly among top combat commanders around the world who have been clamouring for the drones but have seen most resources go to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Hostage, interviewed in his office at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, amid the intermittent roar of fighter jets overhead, said the military's new focus on the Asia-Pacific region will require a different mix of drones and other aircraft. Unlike in Afghanistan, where the US can operate largely without fear of the drones being shot down, there are a number of countries in the Pacific that could face off against American aircraft - either manned or unmanned.

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The staffing demands for that increase have put a strain on the Air Force, as they would require nearly 1,700 drone pilots and 1200 sensor operators. Currently there are fewer than 1400 pilots and about 950 sensor operators.



Countries with significant air power or the ability to shoot down aircraft are scattered across the region, including China, Russia and North Korea - as well as key US allies such as Japan and Australia. America's pivot to the Pacific reflects a growing strategic concern over China's rise as a military power, amid simmering disputes over Taiwan and contested islands in the south and east China seas.


James said the Air Force is evaluating how much to continue to invest in drones like the Reapers that can be used for counter-terrorism missions in more so-called permissive environments, versus how much investment should be shifted to other aircraft. The Air Force uses an array of aircraft, such as the U-2 spy plane, the high-altitude Global Hawk drone or satellites and systems that can gather intelligence from space.


- AP


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