ISR and business as usual

[Cavguy]

The Air Force developed the Predator and turned it into a capable weapons and ISR platform that is integrated with other weapons systems. Yes the Army has UAV's and I'm sure you put them to good use, as you should. But unless I'm mistaken they are essentially just cameras in the sky.

For example, can your mortar or arty teams use them to correct fire?

Yes, All of them can from Raven and above, I've done it.

Can they designate for your other weapons systems?

Some can, to different levels. All can spot designate in some method, and some can laser designate. Keeping it vague here.

Can your apaches get your video feed to develop SA when they're enroute to your tic?

If they have something similar to Rover installed, they could. All our UAV's can be received in Rover as well as Aircraft.

And I'm genuinely sorry about your bad predator experience, there really is no excuse for that.

No problem, wasn't you. But it happened more than once, and that's the worst case. I came off harder than I should, I do love the USAF, a USAF F-15E drop ended a bad firefight I was in once.

But the notion you can do COIN from the air with ISR, or even effeciently interdict the enemy, is a myth at the present time.

Case in point, the nation threw every surveillance asset it had, from satellites to aircraft to UAV's on a single stretch of road south of Balad to stop IED activity. Some months later, the program was cancelled because of outright failure.

Anyway, I was cranky posting at 2AM last night. Sorry for the harsh tone, I promise to play nice!