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US air force to train more drone operators than pilots

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-17 20:41

WASHINGTON - In a significant shift, the US air force will train more drone operators than fighter and bomber pilots combined for the first time in its 61-year history, officials said.

Related readings:  US says it shot down Iranian drone last month  Suspected US drone fires missile into Pakistan area  Pentagon says crashed 'drone' in Pakistan not from US

The air force will train 240 pilots to fly Predator and Reaper drones compared with 214 fighter and bomber pilots for the budget year that ends in September, senior Pentagon officials were quoted by Tuesday's The USA Today as saying.

Overall, there are 550 drone pilots, and 3,700 fighter pilots as well as 900 bomber pilots in the US air force.

The new emphasis on drones reflects a growing demand for persistent, eye-in-the-sky surveillance to track and kill insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It also marks a turning point for the US air force as it looks to a future that relies increasingly on unmanned aircraft.

Over the next few decades, the air force plans to develop drones that would serve as fighters, bombers and tankers, officials said.