Drones Rising

For the record, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said this morning at the Naval War College that unmanned aerial systems would play a "big part" in the Pentagon's future.

He touted the Reaper drone's range of 3,000 nautical miles, compared to the F-16's range of 500 nautical miles. He also praised the Reaper's capability to dwell over a target for hours before attacking the enemy.

The combination of 187 F-22 Raptors, the Joint Strike Fighter program and unmanned aircraft will give the United States "unparalleled" tactical airpower, Gates predicted.

"But we have to think of things not as individual, isolated systems or programs but ((as)) a portfolio of capabilities," he told the audience.

The military officer who raised the topic of drones asked Gates particularly about the role of unmanned ground vehicles, but the defense secretary stuck mostly to aviation in his response.