Standard assertion that: I looked and decided this merited its own thread, but mods please delete if this is not the consensus.
I wanted some opinions on what an ANG unit's conversion back to manned from UAVs might look like. Does big Air Force see these units the same as it does manned units changing missions? That is to say, is a mission change such as this likely even if it's possible? How many UAV units are "future proofing" by sending their studs through full up UPT?
Some initial limiting factors
-change to the original manned aircraft bed down facilities that would prohibit the return of manned aircraft.
-spin up of ops and mx personal given projected future shortages on the ad side
-original issues that lead to loss of manned mission remain, e.g. range too distant
It seems like this kind of mission change would probably be less dependent on these factors and more on:
-future demand for UAV assets
-future procurement of F-35, A-X, LAAR, or similar
-local political advocacy
looking forward to your thoughts