Unmanned aircraft can launch fully active Over the Horizon (OTH) AAW missiles for air denial, that is to deny the area to the enemy, but they cannot dog fight. That means they can't escort the strike package to defend against a fighter screen.
Look at it this way. One of these using an extra fuel tank in one of the two weapons bays can deliver a single 2000 lb bomb from Israel to Iran. 25 of them could form a significant first strike force. Is that a better allocation of resources than using ballistic missiles?
The problem with using MRBMs or IRBMs is that once launched they will lack plausible deniability. A manned aircraft offers the possibility of completing the mission and returning undetected. The Israelis and the Syrians both preferred to keep that window of ambiguity. The unmanned system may penetrate undetected but there is a greater risk that one may fail to return and that would leave evidence behind. For specific targets such as the Syrian or Iraqi nuclear plants these may prove useful.
1 comment:
Unmanned aircraft can launch fully active Over the Horizon (OTH) AAW missiles for air denial, that is to deny the area to the enemy, but they cannot dog fight. That means they can't escort the strike package to defend against a fighter screen.
Look at it this way. One of these using an extra fuel tank in one of the two weapons bays can deliver a single 2000 lb bomb from Israel to Iran. 25 of them could form a significant first strike force. Is that a better allocation of resources than using ballistic missiles?
The problem with using MRBMs or IRBMs is that once launched they will lack plausible deniability. A manned aircraft offers the possibility of completing the mission and returning undetected. The Israelis and the Syrians both preferred to keep that window of ambiguity. The unmanned system may penetrate undetected but there is a greater risk that one may fail to return and that would leave evidence behind. For specific targets such as the Syrian or Iraqi nuclear plants these may prove useful.
Post a Comment