Is a drone with Hellfires considered adequate CAS these days?

[ABNAK]

I was in a L-O-N-G time ago (see sigline). In today's combat environment is having a Predator with several Hellfires on-station considered GTG?

They can loiter for a lot longer than fast-movers or choppers, and with modern sighting/targeting systems they are almost an airborne sniper. A PKM on some Afghan ridgeline pinning your platoon down? The Predator scopes them out and drops a Hellfire on their f*****g heads. Problem solved. Plus it can hang out a long time.

Is this an accurate assessment? I'm honestly asking because I think it is certainly viable. I've heard that communicating with the drone operator (who might be halfway around the globe in a trailer at Nellis AFB) is the issue, i.e. an Apache or A-10 can be communicated with. Obviously comms on the spot is vital to making CAS effective.

I realize that there may not be nearly enough drones in service to meet a CAS demand for every grunt unit, and obviously the tactical situation would dictate. If you were a platoon or company commander and sweeping some God-forsaken valley in Trashcanistan, would you be cool with being told you had a Predator with several Hellfires assigned to cover your unit as it advanced? (if you had direct comms)

Thoughts? The input of you more "recent" vets than my old ass would be greatly appreciated.

[HardToHandle]

Not Nellis. Creech, former Indian Springs. They are much wider than that now.

[ABNAK]

Not Nellis. Creech, former Indian Springs. They are much wider than that now.

So can it be an effective alternate to an Apache or Warthog?

[sinister]

It's much, much better than nothing.

[OH58D]

Remember the Kiowa Warrior could be mounted with Hellfire Pylons for a total of 2 on each side. These were laser guided, unlike the radar versions of the Apache Longbow. The AGM-114 in an incredible weapon system and precise for CAS. Compared to other smart/guided munitions, the Hellfire is also relatively inexpensive at around $100,000 a piece and fly at Mach 1.3. The operational range is around 1/4 mile minimum to just under 7 miles, depending on weather, perfect for a drone orbiting a battlefield.

That is one weapon is miss using.

[NWPilgrim]

Seems like we should lots of different size armed drones supporting ground troops for both surveillance and CAS.

I hope we have, or are developing, severe weather and environment drones as well. That is, able to be airborne when manned aircraft cannot fly. Stretch the safety margin since no lives onboard. Use designs that would be impractical for manned aircraft and if need be specialized to quickly get to unit in trouble, identify target and attack, and get out.

When our enemies are using combinations of missiles and drone swarm that can’t be defeated, then I hope we are far beyond that ourselves.

[ABNAK]

I think the loiter time is a HUGE plus. IIRC they can hang out for nearly 24 hours (I assume depending on the load it's carrying; speaking specifically about Predators from what I've read).

Can anyone address the "direct" comms necessary for successful battlefield CAS? Can a LT under fire speak with the drone pilot to direct those Hellfires, or are there beaucoup relays that take place (with the resultant delay in timely action)?

[Diamondback]

One limitation of the system is payload--two shots then ya gotta RTB to reload. This could easily be addressed with new (well, about past 10 years, which is "new" for air weapons) laser-guided developments in the Hydra-70 family like DAGR, APKWS-II and CRV7--instead of two shots, now you have 38.

As an aside, this is why I personally advocate for new Vietnam-style high-density bomb racks for the B-52 built around 250# Small Diameter Bombs: the BUFF platform gives you the endurance, and high-density SDB integration would give you the ability to rain Hell all day, one target at a time with an up to 40-mile reach since GBU-39 and its successors are basically mini kamikaze gliders.

[ABNAK]

One limitation of the system is payload--two shots then ya gotta RTB to reload. This could easily be addressed with new (well, about past 10 years, which is "new" for air weapons) laser-guided developments in the Hydra-70 family like DAGR, APKWS-II and CRV7--instead of two shots, now you have 38.

As an aside, this is why I personally advocate for new Vietnam-style high-density bomb racks for the B-52 built around 250# Small Diameter Bombs: the BUFF platform gives you the endurance, and high-density SDB integration would give you the ability to rain Hell all day, one target at a time with an up to 40-mile reach since GBU-39 and its successors are basically mini kamikaze gliders.

I did some reading on this last night and it's now called the Reaper and can carry four Hellfires instead of the Predator's two. But yeah, still only four shots. Like Sinister said, better than nothing.

[chuckman]

It's weird having communications with a guy who is 15,000 miles away. That said, it's better than nothing. I am old school and prefer a human in a cockpit above me, and while Hellfires are good, I also like the 30mm Gatling on the A-10.

I do see drone technology getting better and better so I think the platform will definitely expand.