Drone Wars & Pilot Skills: Is US Military Training Outdated?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 Emil Mikhailov, founder of Sorian Aerospace, discusses why current training methods are outdated and how new technologies like their “Sandman” supersonic trainer jet are essential for preparing pilots for future conflicts, including collaborative combat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 with top-tier jets and the alarming statistic of general aviation fatalities matching airmen losses in the Vietnam War.

Sorian Aerospace is preparing to fly its autonomous supersonic trainer, dubbed the Sandman, in the Mojave Desert as early as Q1 next year, targeting a gap in US military air training that the company’s founder says has left American pilots drilling against threats last updated for 1985. The aircraft is designed for aggressor squadrons — the “red air” adversaries used to sharpen fighter pilot skills — and can function as either a predator or prey in advanced combat scenarios.

Emil Mikhailov, CEO and founder of Sorian Aerospace, said the core problem is that high-end jets are too costly and too fragile for routine training. “Every time you fire up the engine on those planes, you start to draw down the life cycles of those,” he said. The alternative — decommissioned third-generation aircraft — does not replicate modern threats. The Sandman is purpose-built to fill that void, operating in special-use airspace outside FAA Part 23 and Part 25 jurisdiction so the company can iterate quickly without the regulatory and capital constraints that have sunk every previous US aircraft startup.

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