"The data indicate that remotely piloted AISR aircraft have not reduced demand for crewed aircraft. Rather, these new aircraft have been used to satisfy previously unmet demand that existing crewed aircraft could not surge to meet."
These are really interesting findings!
Unmanned systems still need quite a few people to fly them, and so (in the US) the personnel cost per system is the same as for manned aircraft. Per flight hour, however, costs are lower.
Personnel costs per aircraft (RQ-4 is the Global Hawk, MQ-9 the Reaper, MQ-1 the Predator)
Personnel cost per flying hour
RQ-4 - Global Hawk,
MQ-9 - Reaper,
MQ-1 - Predator.

Via @CSIS
"A typical Reaper of Predator #drone combat line [...] consists of four aircraft and requires some 49 people in the mission control element and 59 people in the forward-deployed launch and recovery element."

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More from @RikeFranke

10 Mar
Alright, here we go!
#DigitalCompass
At first reading I must say I'm a bit underwhelmed, and a bit confused. There's quite a lot in there but not very concrete or focused.
#DigitalDecade
Admittedly, it looks like a more concrete "Digital Compass" is in the works.

So let's see what's in this Commission communication "2030 Digital Compass*: the European way for the Digital Decade"

*yes, I find this confusing too.
Read 34 tweets
9 Mar
Recently, I've gotten a surprising number of emails from students that I felt were pretty off - so I thought I'd do a thread on this.
This is supposed to help, not chide - I always try to say yes to student requests, but it's more fun if I don't feel annoyed at the start!😊
Form of address: Personally I'm totally fine with the "Dear Ulrike (if I may)" approach, but not everyone is, so better go for the title.
"Dear Ms" (or Mrs?!) actually annoys me.
And "Dear sir or madam" is just ... what?
Say in one sentence what you are working on. And then say in one sentence why you want to talk to me about it.
Sometimes I get these emails and just wonder: you've found me somehow, so you must know my topics, but yours doesn't match mine so what's the link? Don't make me ask.
Read 6 tweets
3 Mar
Reading for today sorted - the US National Commission on #AI has published its final report
So what does it say?
Report here: nscai.gov/wp-content/upl…
It certainly starts gloomy: "the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) is delivering an uncomfortable message: America is not prepared to defend or compete in the AI era. This is the tough reality we must face."
#AI Image
Read 19 tweets
20 Jan
.@ecfr (with YouGov) has done a poll in 11 European countries on their view of the US.
Some results (thread)
ecfr.eu/publication/th…
54% of Europeans* think that "the world is in a worse place because of Trump's presidency". 18% disagree.

*11 countries polled: Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Sweden, UK.
32% of Europeans among the countries polled say that "after voting for Trump, Americans cannot be trusted". 27% disagree.
Support for this statement is *by far* the highest in Germany, with 53% (!) saying Americans cannot be trusted, and only 15% disagreeing.
Read 5 tweets
8 Dec 20
Once again, the #SPD, days before a decision was to be taken, is backtracking on the procurement of armed #drones. The claim: there hasn't been enough debate.
A thread showing *how utterly absurd* this claim is.*

(*No you don't need to support armed drones to acknowledge this)
In 2013 I was a fresh-faced PhD student. I wrote👇about the German debate on armed drones. At this time, the then-defence minister had argued for drones, high-ranking officers supported the idea. The Bundestag’s defence committee first discussed the issue
blog.politics.ox.ac.uk/discussing-the…
2014, my PhD advances, the German #drone debate not so much.
I comment: "There is one military topic, however, which has been discussed repeatedly and heatedly over the last few years: whether the German Bundeswehr should procure armed ‘drones’."
isnblog.ethz.ch/technology/the…
Read 18 tweets
17 Nov 20
Oh come on ⁦@faznet⁩ !!! “AKK stands up to Macron”, rejects his idea of European autonomy.’
Talk about a straw man! AKK has rejected an interpretation of European autonomy that Macron never made. faz.net/aktuell/politi…
"Despite sharp criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, AKK stuck to her position that Europe could not defend itself for the foreseeable future without the US."
What Macron actually said: "But the United States will only respect us as allies if we are earnest, and if we are sovereign with respect to our defence."
geopolitique.eu/en/macron-gran…
Read 6 tweets

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