Moving to Vegas need tips

a reply to: FredT

You know at first I was pretty excited about groom, however I've been doing some serious reading lately and it seems like the USAF is more so in dire need of unmanned platforms more so than another extremely costly black program. Not that they aren't doing anything at groom, but from all I've read it seems more likely they are doing some drone things from tonopah after the abrupt withdrawal from J-UCAS and after the huge sucess of the X-45 project. I am betting they didn't just ditch that all together. Also not sure if they would still be testing or running a SOF stealth STOL or VTOL cargo and troop mobility craft, but from all I can see that role is as of yet unfilled outside of classified options if there are mission ready ones even. The more I read the more it seems the things like the B-21 F-22 and F-35 development is being done partially white or at least publically acknowledged and that's not exactly grooms thing. They will however be wanting to test these new toys in the upcoming few years excersizes of which the biggest seem to be at the test ranges outside Nellis. Still though I keep an eye out for weird reports and sightings as well as holes in capabilities to get an idea of what might be out there.

a reply to: Zaphod58
You think those RAF boys will lay up at nellis in town before they brief and split out to their respective assigned areas for the excersizes? Even if I don't go out to the range for a lot of 20-1 the F-35s are one of the newer birds I've not been lucky enough to even see.

a reply to: RickyD

They fly out of Nellis the entire exercise. They brief and debrief the missions in the base classrooms, and use the range mobile SAMs and telemetry. First launch will be early afternoon, coming back between 4 and 5. Second launch will be between 9 and 10 at night, coming back late.

a reply to: RickyD

The odds of actually catching anything at Groom are pretty remote, but both bases are extremely active. There are a lot of programs we either haven't heard about, or are farther along than we think.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I just know the tide is quickly turning aginst costly manned fighters and the likes in favor of drones for a lot of reasons. The fighter pilot centric culture in the AF will eventually go the way of the dodo bird its just a matter of how long they will drag it out.

a reply to: RickyD

Actually, it won't. A mixed force is actually the best and most flexible. You'll see a bunch of optionality manned aircraft, like the B-21 or TR-X, but we'll have a manned force for a long time to come.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I think just the sheer speed and power to process so much info will over take pilots. Not to say that there won't be a pilot in something near by to send and recieve daisy chained comms and authorize some actions but autonomous drones are much harder to jam/hack, are cheaper, and do not risk a pilot of which the AF is running shorter and shorter on these days.

I could see a scenario where an F-22 and a flight of drones...possibly even 2 F-22s even...go on a sortie where ghe F-22 hangs back and lets the drones go forward to clear SAMs and radar that's a threat drops bombs on a high risk target and flies back. The F-22 will be able to keep its emmissions down and radar off using the info gathered by the drones to lob VLRAAMs at anything airborne aggressing the swarm without being noticed until too late. It would also maintain the control link and data flow back to command as the position between AWACS at a safe distance to the F-22 then further inside the high risk environment.

The directional secure data links we are using today are much harder to jam or hack due to the ability to send and recieve directionally so signals coming outside that direction can be ignored.

a reply to: RickyD

It's called Loyal Wingman. We'll see UAVs take over some mission, but manned will always be more flexible and will stick around for a long time to come.

a reply to: RickyD

Groom is more of a bucket list thing that the likelihood of seeing a black projects. But people have spotted Flankers etc.

The other item is you can legally tour the Nevada Test Site. It requires prior signup and they will check you out, but the tour is supposed to be pretty cool. We had a spot 17 years ago, but my wife got pregnant and we did not want to risk it.

a reply to: FredT

That sounds pretty cool... I'll have to look into that. Was it expensive? Having just moved my budget is wrecked till I get work flowing again...the downside to working as a freelancer until I can sort out joining the union here.

originally posted by: RickyD
a reply to: FredT

That sounds pretty cool... I'll have to look into that. Was it expensive? Having just moved my budget is wrecked till I get work flowing again...the downside to working as a freelancer until I can sort out joining the union here.

Last time we booked like the Edwards tour it was free and looking at the site it still is

www.nnss.gov...