Upward and onward: Future of RPA operators looks bright

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  • By 49th Wing Public Affairs
HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Remotely Piloted Aircraft pilots were given a glimpse into the future of their career field during a visit by Brig. Gen. David Goldfein, director of Air and Space Operations for Air Combat Command, June 16 and 17 at the base theater.

An RPA pilot himself, General Goldfein outlined a frank and complete view of what the current situation for RPA operators is now, and recent decisions by top Air Force leaders to normalize RPA operations.

"I expect you [RPA pilots] to be fairly skeptical. Because we've been in surge ops for so long, we've been rightly focused on the mission, so we've had to react a few times to meet increasing demand for what you bring to the fight," said General Goldfein.

According to General Goldfein, because of the high demand for RPA combat air patrols, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, RPA operator assignments were "frozen" in order to execute the rising number of missions being assigned.

"When we built the CAP plan, we initially started with a 12 CAP plan. It rose to a 21 CAP plan, then a 35 CAP plan and then a 50 CAP plan. Because you're doing so great, quite frankly, there's far more demand for it [RPAs], so now we're at a 65 CAP plan," said General Goldfein. "That translates into a 1,200 percent increase in operations over the last nine years."

However, General Goldfein continued to explain, maintaining the current pace of operations with the current ratio of operators to CAPs is not sustainable. As a result, AF leadership recently made three critical decisions to normalize RPA operations as well as develop future RPA leaders.

RPA as a Major Weapons System

The first decision is to formally declare and treat RPAs as major weapons systems equivalent to all major weapons systems such as the F-16 Falcon, C-17 Globemaster and B-1 Lancer.

"This drives how we man and develop the career field. By declaring this a major weapons system it is no longer an alpha tour," he said. "If you look at current major weapons systems, we have about 20 percent over and above what we need to specifically accomplish the mission. That provides the flexibility to fully man the mission, while also populating a development pyramid that includes duty on staff, school, air operations center, distributed common ground system, and other developmental opportunities."

18U career field the primary means for entry into RPA

Senior Air Force leaders directed that the 18U [RPA Air Force Specialty Code] pilot track be the primary entry method into RPAs. The purpose is to increase the number of operators to a 65-CAP level without relying on cross-flowed pilots from manned weapons systems as the primary means of populating the career field.

"Combat and Mobility Air Force pilots flying the RPAs will decrease as the 18U numbers go up over time in order to populate the career field, so we can field this development plan," he said. "It doesn't make any sense to field a development plan if I can't let you out of the system. What we've had at this rate only produced enough operators to meet mission requirements. So the assignment freeze you've been under is only because we haven't been able to increase production over and above mission requirements which is what gives us the flexibility to allow developmental leadership opportunities."

The head of Air Combat Command operations offered some encouraging news.

"I'm here to tell you it's going to get a little better each month. Because now we're at a point this year where we're actually producing operators over and above mission requirements," said General Goldfein. "The more we produce, the quicker we can get to that 20 percent over mission needed to begin development."

Management of RPA operators

The third and final decision was making the RPA operator development track mirror other rated officer development tracks in order to develop future RPA officers into leaders at every level.

"As you come into the RPA field whether you are a fighter pilot, C-17 driver or space operator, you'll be owned and managed by your respective developmental teams until you've been designated by a cross-flow board to be permanently assigned to the RPA community," said General Goldfein. "Two times per year we'll assemble Air Force developmental teams, leaders from CAF, MAF, SOF [Special Operations Forces], intel, space, and C2, all the RPA wing commanders, and one squadron commander representative unique to each RPA platform to hold a cross-flow board to discuss your future development."

General Goldfein described the 18U RPA pilot developmental pyramid and compared it to other pilot developmental processes; showing very little deviation between both as well as showing the opportunities for leadership, professional growth and education that was proposed to senior Air Force leaders.

"Basically, the key to normalizing RPA operations is treating it and its personnel like any other major weapons systems," said General Goldfein. "Manning, equipping and expanding developmental opportunities for its personnel ensures the RPA weapons system continues to be a viable, sustainable tool for the Air Force and the combatant commander well into the future."

"The RPA major weapons system represents a new way of warfare that you have developed and perfected in a tough, dynamic environment," said General Goldfein. "What you are doing here is truly 'Hap' Arnold stuff. On behalf of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force and the commander of ACC, thank you for your professionalism and passion for this incredibly important work."