名家導讀和讀者評論
Naval weapons expert Norman Friedman presents Unmanned Combat Air Systems: A New Kind of Carrier Aviation, a detailed examination of how the U.S. Navy's Unmanned Combat Air System aircraft, currently in development, will have enormous repercussions on naval aviation. The unmanned combat air vehicle is the size of a strike fighter, and can potentially complete intelligence missions, surveillance, reconnaissance, and time-sensitive targeting. The X-47B is the first attempt to create such an aircraft; Friedman studies how this aircraft might be used, and compares it to certain current missiles controlled by remote human operators. Black-and-white photographs illustrate this technical, in-depth study of a crucial facet of changing modern warfare.
Nothing truly no match to what's mentioned in this book form facts and experience. But when it comes to the futuristic X-47 Umannned Combat Air System, this book is the lead in this field.
I highly recommend this book for any Air power researcher.
Also, pay attention to the notes in the back pages of this book it has a lot of important information and clarifications
Norman Friedman introduces readers to the newest generation of weapon systems to join the inventories of nations around the world. As early as World War II, German scientists began experimenting with unmanned aerial weapons to attack allied aircraft and ships. Throughout the second half of the twentieth century, many nations have taken those original concepts and turned them into a new breed of combat system. Friedman exposes to the readers to that transformation and to the new systems in his latest book "Unmanned Combat Air Systems".
The most serious mistake a nation can make is to try and fight the next war like the last. After World War I, the French assumed that the next war would be fought in trenches - so they built the Maginot line. Meanwhile, the Germans revolutionized combat by introducing maneuver warfare. Friedman persuades the reader of the need for militaries to transform their way of conducting combat.
Friedman also explains that as commanders changed their concept for the employment of combat forces, changes are also necessary in forming an effective picture of the battlefield. In the days of Napoleonic warfare, commanders would seek the high ground to see how his adversary arrayed his opposing forces. With this picture in his mind, the commander would then send messages to his units to execute the attack. The author continues that as the speed of combat increased, new methods were needed to create the picture of the battlefield and to control subordinate forces. It is in this role, that Unmanned Aerial Systems began to prove their worth over the last thirty years.
Some readers may be tempted to skip right to Appendix II, where Friedman focuses only on the evolution of the aerial systems in various countries. Comprising almost 180 pages, this section of the book is a by-nation description of the various unmanned aerial systems that have been used in each country. This section is enhanced with numerous black and white photographs.
In the past few years, we have witnessed the employment of weapons from these vehicles. As we move forward into the twenty-first century, Friedman explains the new capabilities to be included in the next generation of these systems. The first section of the book is certainly targeted for military leaders, but casual readers looking to learn more about the various UASs will find Appendix II to be an absolute treasure.
For readers wanting to learn more about Friedman's concepts on transformation, I highly recommend his book "Network-Centric Warfare: How Navies Learned to Fight Smarter Through Three World Wars".
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