More UAV news, which we see increasingly taking the place of manned aircraft, fromStrategypage:
UAVs are becoming more popular for maritime patrol. Three years ago, using UAVs purchased from Israel, India formed its first UAV maritime reconnaissance squadron. The unit has eight Searcher II UAVs and four Herons. The Searcher II san stay aloft for 16 hours at a time. The Heron is similar to the U.S. Predator, and can stay up for fifty hours at a time. The radar and vidcam sensors enable the UAVs to provide unprecedented coverage on short notice. Israel is also using a version of the Heron for maritime reconnaissance…
UAVs used for maritime search are much cheaper, can stay in the air longer and can even carry weapons (one or two Hellfire missiles). The operators are ashore, and can work in shifts to monitor the sensors. In any event, the sensors are increasingly using pattern recognition software, to catch things that a human observer might miss.
The US is currently struggling to replace its antiquated P-3 Orion patrol plane, so this might be a serious contender. Manned alternatives like the P-8 Poseidon are rising drastically in price and complication, which make us wonder if the technicality of traditional platforms have pushed them to obsolescence.
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