Drone Wars & Pilot Skills: Is US Military Training Outdated?
US pilot training is struggling to keep pace with modern warfare. Emil Mikhailov, founder of Sorian Aerospace, discusses why current training methods are outdated and how new technologies like their “Sandman” supersonic trainer jet are essential for preparing pilots for future conflicts, including collaborative combat with unmanned aircraft. He highlights the high cost of training […] The post…
US pilot training is lagging behind modern warfare, according to Emil Mikhailov, founder of Sorian Aerospace. The company's new "Sandman" supersonic trainer jet aims to address this issue by providing realistic training for fighter pilots in combat scenarios involving both manned and unmanned aircraft. Mikhailov claims that current training methods are outdated and too costly, with high-end jets suffering from high maintenance costs and fragile components unsuitable for routine training.
The Sandman is designed to fill this gap, operating in special-use airspace to avoid regulatory and capital constraints faced by previous US aircraft startups. The high cost of training with top-tier jets is a major concern, with general aviation fatalities in the US matching those of airmen losses during the Vietnam War. Sorian Aerospace aims to build a military-useful product first, establish an industrial base, and then expand, as the US has a 100% failure rate for new aircraft manufacturers over the past 70 years.
The company is also targeting a first flight of the Sandman in the Mojave Desert in Q1 next year, designed to replace Cold War-era aggressor aircraft for US military training.
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