Tripwire,
Don't think you are being fair comparing maritimer heli with UAV.
In our frigate, you can be sure there is at least 1 or 2 UAV
possible carry onboard also other then the heli.
Till now, maritime UAV use are basically use for routine maritime
survillance. They are use also to provide limited over the horitzon
radar coverage. UAV are at this moment more to comprement the heli,
not replace it.
In future, UAV may replace heli, that is possible, but at this
moment, it is far from able to.
Let see what you have not considered.
1) Seating inside a ship, and looking at 1 or 2 camera, is not like
being in a cockpit of a heli. It is very limited view, cannot do a
lot of maneuvers which restrict to very few type of missions that
can be undertaken. Remember sub-hunting, anti-sub, anti-ship call
for very precision flying, which is not achieve by UAV yet.
2) Maritime flying is under very demanding conidition, which need
instant response and the only way, that can be achieve is the pilot
must be in the cockpit to feel the situation himself. UAV cannot
achieve that yet. There is still a limit to the amount of sensor
on-board, most at not advance enough to handle bad weather
yet.
3) If a UAV like you say can carry the same amount of weapon, then,
it is basically 1/2 size of a heli, so it also is not suitable
based on your theory of stealth. If it too small don't think it
will even survive long in the sea going condition. Reminder,
frigate are open ocean vessels, we are expecting, huge wind and
wave, in area of operation. Not the sheltered sea around
singapore.
4) Don't forget, jamming and bad weather, this may mean you will
lose control for your UAV.
5) Yes let fly out 2 or 3 UAV !!!, that is better, but remember,
you need space to setup the UAV controls, their personels on the
ship and their spares too ! By the time all this is put in, you
find the amount of space, maybe the same as needed for the heli
spare.
Based on your argument, it is not valid at the moment, that is why
US still use manned fighter planes, apache . That shows, there is
still a long way to go. Till the day, fighter planes and other
attack heli became unmanned, then I think UAV can replace the
maritime heli.
If there is truth to your arguement, we may as well push the
envelop further, since you insist that tech is so good. We may as
well have the frigate remote control also, the crews can control
the frigate from singapore instead of on the ship. Anyway we just
need to put sensors on the ship and ignore other factors.
.
