Military history news
Air Force Historical Foundation board member will present “The Rise of Unmanned Aircraft” on February 13
Posted: February 7, 2012
The February meeting of the American Aviation Historical Society’s Northern Virginia chapter will feature a special presentation by Lt. Col. Larry Spinetta, USAF – a member of the Air Force Historical Foundation Board of Directors, who will detail the progression of unmanned aircraft from experimental novelties to the valuable military air assets of today.
This upcoming meeting will be held February 13 at 7:30 p.m., at the Udvar-Hazy Center, National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.
Read more about Lt. Col. Spinetta and his presentation, The Rise of Unmanned Aircraft:
At the end of World War II, General Henry “Hap” Arnold, Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces, made a startling prediction: "We have just won a war with a lot of heroes flying around in planes. The next war may be fought by airplanes with no men in them at all …. Take everything you've learned about aviation in war, throw it out of the window, and let's go to work on tomorrow's aviation. It will be different from anything the world has ever seen.”
Arnold's vision of pilotless aircraft fighting America's wars was premature, but his prophecy seems to be coming true. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan helped spark what appears an unmanned revolution in air power that is changing the way wars are fought. In recent years, no other weapon has more significantly transformed the way the United States wages war than unmanned aircraft.
Over the last decade, unmanned aircraft progressed from an experimental novelty to become perhaps the most requested air assets in our nation’s arsenal. As a result, they witnessed exponential growth, amassing flight hours at a frenzied and accelerating pace. In 2001, the Defense Department possessed a handful of unmanned aircraft. Now, they number over 7,000.
Lt. Col. Lawrence “Data” Spinetta, USAF, a former Predator squadron commander, will talk about the history of unmanned aircraft, highlighting factors contributing to their rapid rise. Additionally, he’ll explain remote split operations (RSO), a concept that is revolutionizing air warfare. Satellite communications have un-tethered unmanned from ground stations, permitting force projection while minimizing vulnerability; in Afghanistan and elsewhere, combat missions are flown by crews halfway across the globe. Lastly, he’ll conclude by discussing the future of air power.
Lt. Col. Spinetta currently serves as a branch chief in Joint Force Development directorate of the Joint Staff, Pentagon. From 2008-2010, he served as commander of the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. His squadron was responsible for training all MQ-1 Predator pilots and sensor operators. Previous to that assignment, Lt. Col. Spinetta served three tours of duty flying the F-15C Eagle, completing 65 combat sorties over Iraq and the former Yugoslavia. He holds a Master’s in Public Policy from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; a Master’s from the School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama; and a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He also has served as a Council on Foreign Relations international affairs fellow and as a Checkmate Air Staff strategist. Additionally, Lt. Col. Spinetta serves on the Board of Directors of the Air Force Historical Foundation.
Review the Military history news archive.
