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BZ to the Ace

Flash

SEVAL/ECMO
None
Super Moderator
Contributor
A kill's a kill.
Is it though?
A bunch of Frank Luke’s 18 kills were balloons. He’s considered an ace.

Don't want to add to the pissing match but just a historical perspective.

If more 'recent' history is a guide, drone/UAV/cruise missile kills probably won't officially count as 'kills'. While balloon kills in WWI were officially counted as kills it was because it was often even more dangerous to shoot those down than aircraft due to the AAA and even aircraft protecting them. Going off more recent history, albeit 80 years versus 110 years, V-1 kills (to include a few 'tipped over') were not considered officially as kills by the RAF or USAAF. Interestingly the NVAF counted reconnaissance drone kills as official kills in the Vietnam War.

So officially, likely no. There is almost certainly already official guidance on it, I remember going through the official criteria for a kill to be considered an official aerial kill at the beginning of OIF and it was very detailed covering quite a few different scenarios.
 

Duc'-guy25

Well-Known Member
pilot
I heard these suicide drones were actually manned to be IAW with the Houthi definition of a suicide drone, and that Erhart gunned them, andddd he did it with the canopy open and a cigar in his mouth. And all of this was in a single flight. Also, (rumor) he went and took down an entire Houthi ASCM battery just by staring at it immediately afterwards.
 

taxi1

Well-Known Member
pilot
I think he just ingested it into Harrier’s big ass intake. Crapped it out the back.
 

hlg6016

A/C Wings Here
I heard these suicide drones were actually manned to be IAW with the Houthi definition of a suicide drone, and that Erhart gunned them, andddd he did it with the canopy open and a cigar in his mouth. And all of this was in a single flight. Also, (rumor) he went and took down an entire Houthi ASCM battery just by staring at it immediately afterwards.
Inverted of course. 'Merica Baby!
 

Random8145

Registered User
The Harrier was and remains one of the coolest planes ever made:) If military vehicles could talk, I'll bet there'd be some jealousy going, the F-18s and F-35s not liking the Harrier getting to shoot down the enemy drones, and the Abrams tanks not liking that those lowly Bradley's got to go to Ukraine and destroy Russian tanks.
 

IKE

Nerd Whirler
pilot
The Harrier was and remains one of the coolest planes ever made:) If military vehicles could talk, I'll bet there'd be some jealousy going, the F-18s and F-35s not liking the Harrier getting to shoot down the enemy drones, and the Abrams tanks not liking that those lowly Bradley's got to go to Ukraine and destroy Russian tanks.
The trouble with the maples
(And they're quite convinced they're right)
They say the oaks are just too lofty
And they grab up all the light...
 

Duc'-guy25

Well-Known Member
pilot
Come on man. Are we this gullible? Did anyone really think a Harrier was out there shwacking drones (especially at a higher rate than aircraft optimized for A/A)?
 

GroundPounder

Well-Known Member
nevermind-gildaradner.gif
 
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