Originally Posted by
rattman
For starters all the F-18 in the RAAF have a second crewman so that crewman would be available to control them. Also its a strong rumor that the E-7's are more getting consoles from which these can be controlled. Also rumored the tankers will be getting a station as well. At least intitially I think these aircraft primary role will be a escort of larger assets (awac/tankers) or CAP over ground facilites like forward airfields freeing up manned fighters. later if/when the technology matures maybe they will be escorts for other fighters like the F-35 / NGAD
Just to clarify. They already had UAV consoles and weren't happy. When Boeing
PR released that information, years ago. When the E-7 was a POS and would never do what they wanted it to. How things have changed in that program.