Nightfall and the Cloud:
Examining the Future of Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicles and Remotely Piloted Aircraft
This article argues that the transformation of airpower to a force centered on remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) and unmanned combat aerial vehicles (UCAV) is a more difficult proposition than simply a technical hurdle to overcome. Significant technological barriers to autonomy exist, but overcoming them would still leave economic, political, legal, and organizational challenges to fielding significant numbers of fully autonomous aircraft in wartime. The debate over the future of RPAs and UCAVs in warfare represents the latest controversy concerning a string of airpower technologies that can significantly increase military capabilities but that cannot by themselves solve the problems of human conflict. As the US Air Force and policy makers imagine the possibilities of autonomous aircraft and the tactical advantages of removing pilots from cockpits, they must remain aware of these limitations. Furthermore, they must begin to shape Air Force organizations, policies, and doctrines around the realities of a mixed force of manned, remotely piloted, and semiautonomous aircraft to prepare for issues that will accompany such a force.