Gen. Michael Moseley acknowledges that he is a fan of unmanned combat air vehicles, but he does not see them replacing fighters in the air-to-air role for quite some time. However, the Air Force Chief of Staff told defense reporters, “I do see UCAVs that can penetrate a fifth-generation weapons array” in the not-too-distant future. The threat he described is that posed by an air defense system employing so-called “double-digit” surface-to-air radars and missiles. Moseley likes UCAVs because they can stay on station a long time. The only limiting factor in a UCAV’s dwell time is the oil in its engine, a restriction easily solved by adding a bigger oil reservoir, he said.
Billy Mitchell: Lessons a Hundred Years Hence
Dec. 16, 2025
Exactly 100 years ago, on Dec. 17, 1925, Brig. Gen. Billy Mitchell was convicted by court-martial for violating an order that required approval before he could engage with the media. Mitchell’s provocative thoughts and unorthodox methods sought attention for a cause that he saw as uniquely American.
