14. Mongoose: I used to feel the same way that you do about the F-22, but the sucess of UAVs in the current war has caused me to re-asses. I think that most uses of manned aircraft in combat are obsolete.

If we can run Predator UAVs in Iraq from Nevada, we can run fighter UAVs as well. They might have to be run from closer. But so what?

Imagine, if you will, a UAV capable of Mach 4 and 15G turns. Being unmanned it does not need life support or emergency escape systems. Unmanned the craft can therefore be lighter and smaller. It is not limited by the ability of flesh and blood to survive the G’s pulled. It can run higher temperatures. Nobody has to run a copter behind enemy lines to pick up a downed flier. Another considerable saving.

The mother ship could be something like a J-Star which could stand back a couple of hundred miles. Or the UAVs could be run by a ship with the assistance of a Global Hawk as the relay and reconnaissance.

Aircraft Carriers are obsolete as well, at least ones of the Nimitz class. Flight decks could be much smaller. And crews less numerous. The navy needs a complete rethinking at this point. Should large bore naval guns be replaced by GMLRS at this point. How do these changes affect crew sizes and ship construction?

23. E. Nigma: In my view, the most important manned aircraft project is the C-17.