For the first time since World War II, the U.S. Air Force will have enlisted pilots in its ranks. However, they will not be sitting in any cockpits as the job requires them to pilot the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV.
U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bobby Cummings
Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Mark A. Welsh said there are no plans at the moment to expand the program to other types of unmanned aircraft.
“What we learn from flying Global Hawks with enlisted pilots under the supervision of rated officers will inform whether we apply a similar approach to other weapon systems,” Welsh said. “It is too soon to speculate on any expansion of enlisted aircrew beyond the Global Hawk program.”