I found this quote at the end of the article pretty interesting:

"Will the unmanned aircraft ever completely replace either bombers or fighters? In delivering weapons on target, Deptula said, "Yes, you bet." But when it comes to controlling airspace, flying against enemy fighters, the general said, the technology cannot yet achieve 360-degree awareness. A human brain is still superior in the assimilation of information and responding to it.

"Someday we might be able to, but until then, we'll still have manned aircraft," the general said."

That was interesting. He doesn't give specifics but just leaves it open for the future.

My prediction...you'll see an air-to-air UAS capability within five years. We'll see how I top my prediction of the recession/depression in that other thread...

You might be right...but "a" capability is significantly different than a capability that is good enough to replace current manned capabilities.

The Reaper drops GBU-12s, and that is "an" air-to-ground capability, but nobody is suggesting that they are capable of replacing the deep-strike mission.

The General Atomics family of UASs has very rapidly changed from essentially an oversized remote control aircraft into a more advanced ISR/attack platform without significant change to the performance and capability of the airframe. They are still primarily designed for long loiter and not high performance. Until we start seeing the X-47-type aircraft (and there is evidence such a vehicle is all ready operating in Afghanistan) in wide proliferation, there is simply no way that the Pred/Reaper/Avenger can ever seriously be considered adequately capable of accomplishing missions in a non-permissive, medium-to-high threat environment.

I agree with Deptula that the capability will eventually be there and that such a change from manned platform to unmanned platform will happen, but as I've said before -- that will not happen tomorrow, next month, or next year.

You guys are wrong.

I built an air-to-air UAS myself using parts from Radio Shack and a spare Roomba. It exists and its sitting in my living room.

I'm going to ops check it at the bar this weekend on the Riverwalk to make sure it's legit by seeing if it can drink more beer than Hacker and score more tail...

I yield to Roomba. That thing is certainly Area 51-derived alien technology.