Buy 7000 of them for 50 billion dollars.
Kill the F-35.
Save money, have 500 Reapers per division. Die horse, DIE.
[edit on 19-5-2008 by lpbman]
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My view is that the Reaper is a complimentary weapons platform intended for regions with reasonable air superiority. It will not replace an F16 but
provides a new paradigm. It is ideally suited to the insurgent warfare encountered in both Iraq and Stan.
In this role, it has two primary benefits over existing conventional warplanes. The first is that it can stay on station in an effective manner for
vastly longer periods than manned aircraft. The second is that it costs significantly less than a conventional manned jet to both build and
operate.
A third benefit may be partly related to it's slower speed, and that would be the ability to gather intelligence in higher resolution and allow for
better analysis to occur in real time.
The plane is lightweight and propeller driven allowing for sufficient fuel to maintain long flight periods. The plane does not have to return to base
to change flight crews. These factors can provide continuos airspace coverage at low cost.
The planes themselves cost significantly less than conventional jet aircraft. Even with the ground stations, they cost about a quarter in the low
quantities currently manufactured. Ramping production will reduce unit cost and that disparity will only increase.
Pilot and sensor teams can work from their home base, massively reducing overseas personnel costs and inherent logistics. Pilot loss is non-existent,
thus reducing training and replacement costs. As pilots do not have to endure G-Forces and other physical rigors, a much greater population of pilot
candidates is also available.
The low performance frame and propulsion systems are likely more mechanically durable and significantly less expensive to repair and maintain than jet
based systems.
The new paradigm and expected result of this is that these systems can be employed in vast numbers under current budgets to provide significantly
improved air support and intelligence to ground forces. Consider a Predator/Reaper assigned to each platoon on patrol and the potential increase in
effectiveness that it will bring to each unit.
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reply to post by lpbman
Yeah, and lets defend them against SAMs and enemy fighters with 187 F-22s and invisible force fields. 
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