이란 전쟁에서 입증된 무인기의 가치

[위종민]

MQ-9 리퍼가 장시간 체공능력을 바탕으로 탄도미사일을 효과적으로 사냥했으며, 격추는 많이 됐지만 구조할 파일럿이 없는 것도 장점이라고 하네요. 하지만 Contested Area에서도 오래 떠 있으면서 표적을 타격할 수 있을지가 관건일 것 같습니다. 

이란 전쟁, 무인 항공기의 가치를 입증하다

2026년 3월, 미 공군 주방위군의 MQ-9 리퍼 무인 항공기 시스템이 비행하고 있습니다. (미 공군 주방위군 사진: Stephen Luke 상사)

해설
이란 전쟁, 무인 항공기의 가치를 입증하다
2026년 4월 20일 | 작성자: 휴스턴 캔트웰 미 공군 퇴역 준장 및 더글러스 A. 버키

이란 내 목표물을 타격하는 MQ-9 리퍼 원격 조종 항공기(RPA)의 교전 영상은, 이라크와 아프가니스탄 전쟁이 끝난 지금 이 상징적인 무인 항공기가 퇴역할 운명이라고 생각했던 이들을 놀라게 했을지 모릅니다.

리퍼는 스텔스 기능이 없고 속도가 느리기 때문에 정교한 방공 시스템을 갖춘 적을 상대로는 생존이 불가능한 것으로 여겨집니다. 그러나 놀랍게도, '에픽 퓨리 작전(Operation Epic Fury)' 중 이란 방공망에 의한 리퍼 항공기 손실은 다른 이야기를 들려줍니다. 실제로 MQ-9은 공군이 차세대 무인기인 협동 전투기(CCA)를 개발하는 과정에서 중요한 통찰을 제공합니다.

본래 정보, 감시, 정찰기(ISR)로 개발된 리퍼는 독특한 '센서-슈터(탐지와 타격을 동시 수행)'로 진화했습니다. 생명 유지 시스템과 인간 조종사가 탑승하지 않기 때문에 임무 지속 시간은 24시간 이상으로 연장됩니다. 이 항공기를 원격으로 조종하는 조종사와 센서 운용 요원들은 교대로 근무하므로 과도한 피로에 직면하지 않습니다. 이들은 목표물이 모습을 드러낼 때까지 몇 시간이고 현장에서 대기할 수 있습니다. 무엇보다도, 원격 조종 항공기는 유인 시스템이 감수하지 못할 위험을 무릅쓸 수 있습니다.

이와 유사하게, 협동 전투기(CCA)는 유인 전투기를 대체하는 존재가 아닙니다. 유인 전투기는 원격 조종 항공기보다 빠르고 기동성이 뛰어나며 생존성이 높고, MQ-9 같은 기체보다 더 많은 무장을 적진 깊숙이 운반할 수 있습니다. 5세대 및 6세대 전투기는 타의 추종을 불허하는 정보 처리 능력, 스텔스 기능, 첨단 전자전 기능을 갖추어 독보적인 전투 효과를 냅니다.

하지만 유인 전투기를 정말로 차별화하는 것은 고도로 훈련된 조종사와 승무원 전문가들의 탁월한 인간 인지 능력입니다. 무인 항공기의 장점을 이러한 유인 시스템과 비교하는 것은 단순한 발상입니다. 사실, 우리는 두 가지 모두가 필요합니다.

지난해 6월 '미드나잇 해머 작전(Operation Midnight Hammer)'에 B-2, F-22, F-35가 투입된 것은 우연이 아닙니다. 그것들이 각자의 고유한 능력을 바탕으로 해당 임무에 가장 적합한 도구였기 때문입니다.

주목할 점은, 2월 말 에픽 퓨리 작전이 시작되었을 때 MQ-9이 이란 영토 상공에 진입한 최초의 항공기 중 하나였다는 보고입니다. 이는 은신처에서 나오는 이란의 이동식 미사일과 드론 발사대를 감시하고 타격하기 위한 최선의 선택이었습니다. 길고 험난한 출격 과정에서 리퍼가 수 시간 동안 체공할 수 있는 능력 덕분에, 유인 항공기였다면 결코 찾지 못했을 목표물들을 파괴할 수 있었습니다.

MQ-9은 이동식 미사일과 드론 사냥에 있어 역사상 가장 성공적인 성과를 거두었을 것이며, 이란의 반격 능력을 극적으로 저하시켰습니다. 리퍼는 적에게 단 한 곳의 안식처도 허용하지 않고 지속적으로 압박했습니다.

물론 에픽 퓨리 작전 중 여러 대의 리퍼가 격추된 것은 사실입니다. 하지만 이 역시 나쁜 이야기만은 아닙니다. 항공기가 현장에 오래 머물수록 격추될 위험은 커집니다. 그러나 원격 조종 항공기에는 장점이 있습니다. 격추되더라도 구조해야 할 조종사가 없다는 것입니다. 구조 임무는 복잡하고 위험하며 많은 자원이 소요됩니다. 4월 초 이란에서 발생한 F-15E 승무원의 극적이고 성공적인 구조 작전을 생각해 보십시오. 전역 전반에 걸쳐 MQ-9을 사용한 덕분에, 수 주간의 전쟁 중 적진 뒤에서 위험에 처한 승무원이 발생한 일은 단 한 번의 사건에 그칠 수 있었습니다.

에픽 퓨리 작전 이후를 내다볼 때, 이란 상공에서의 MQ-9 활용은 내일의 자율형 협동 전투기(CCA)가 미래에 어떻게 운용될 수 있는지를 시사합니다. 협동 전투기는 5세대 및 6세대 전투기를 보완하여 대응 수단에 대한 효과를 높이고 헌터-킬러로서의 역량을 강화하기 위한 목적으로 설계되었습니다.

하늘을 지배하는 F-22와 순식간에 사라지는 표적을 끈질기게 공격할 수 있는 MQ-9을 모두 보유하는 것은 전술적, 작전적, 전략적 수준에서 다양한 옵션을 제공합니다. 마찬가지로 협동 전투기도 단순히 유인 전투기를 흉내 내는 것이 아니라 무인 패러다임만의 강점을 활용하도록 개발되어야 합니다. 농구 팀을 예로 들어 보겠습니다. 스타 센터와 스타 포인트 가드 모두 가치가 있지만, 다섯 명의 센터나 다섯 명의 포인트 가드로만 경기하려 한다면 그 팀은 실패할 것입니다. 강력한 팀을 만들기 위해서는 다양한 속성이 필요합니다.

협동 전투기(CCA)의 강점은 감당 가능한 비용의 대량 생산, 위험 감소, 상호 운용성, 그리고 다목적 탑재 능력의 유연성에 집중될 것입니다. 이를 달성하기 위해 개방형 아키텍처, 소프트웨어 정의 설계, 디지털 엔지니어링, 그리고 신속하고 반복적인 개발 방식을 활용해야 합니다. 반대로 유인 전투기는 인간의 인지 능력, 우수한 기동성, 고성능 하위 시스템, 스텔스, 팀 구성 등 그들만의 강점에 집중할 것입니다.

미래를 전망할 때, 미국은 우수한 무인 항공기 분야에서 우위를 잃어서는 안 됩니다. MQ-9과 그 후계자인 협동 전투기는 미래에도 계속 필요할 것입니다. 실제로 공군은 국가 안보 요구 사항을 충족할 수 있는 항공기 재고를 확보하기 위해, 오늘날의 전투 손실분을 더 진보하고 유능한 MQ-9B로 보충해야 합니다. MQ-9B 생산 라인이 활발히 가동 중이므로, 지금이 바로 구매할 적기입니다.

동시에 공군은 첨단 위협에 맞서 고도의 전투 역량을 보장하는 차세대 협동 전투기와 유인 항공기 시스템에 강력하게 투자해야 합니다. 팀으로서 협력하며 각기 다른 강점을 전투에 투입함으로써, 지휘관들에게 미국과 동맹국의 이익을 위협하는 증가하는 위협들을 물리칠 수 있는 더 많은 옵션을 제공하게 될 것입니다.

Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft

Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft

A U.S. Air National Guard MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft system flies in March 2026. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Stephen Luke)

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Commentary

Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft

April 20, 2026 | By Brig. Gen. Houston Cantwell, USAF (Ret.) and Douglas A. Birkey

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Combat video from MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) striking targets in Iran may have surprised those who thought the iconic unmanned aircraft were destined for retirement now that the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are behind us. 

The Reapers are neither stealthy nor fast and therefore seen as unsurvivable against adversaries with sophisticated air defense systems. Yet just as surprisingly, the loss of Reaper aircraft to Iranian air defenses in Operation Epic Fury tells a different story. Indeed, the MQ-9s offer insights as the Air Force develops the next generation of unmanned planes: collaborative combat aircraft (CCA). 

Originally developed as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance planes, the Reaper has evolved into a unique sensor-shooter. Without life support systems and a human pilot aboard, mission endurance extends to 24 hours and beyond. The pilots and sensor operators operating these aircraft remotely work in shifts, so they don’t face excessive fatigue. They can remain on station for hours on end waiting for a target to show itself. What’s more, RPAs can take risks that inhabited systems would not. 

Similarly, CCAs are not replacements for piloted combat jets, which fly faster, are more maneuverable and survivable than RPAs, and can carry larger payloads deeper into enemy territory than something like the MQ-9. Fifth- and sixth-generation fighters feature unparallelled information processing, stealth, and advanced electronic warfare functions enabling them to deliver distinctive combat effects. 

But what really sets inhabited fighters apart is the superior human cognition of highly trained pilots and aircrew specialists. Comparing the advantages of unmanned aircraft against these systems is simplistic. The fact is, we need both. 

It’s no accident that B-2s, F-22s, and F-35s were employed during Operation Midnight Hammer last June. They were the best tools for the mission based on their unique capabilities. 

Notably, when Operation Epic Fury kicked off in late February, MQ-9s were reportedly among the first aircraft over Iranian territory—the best option to watch for and target Iran’s mobile missile and drone launchers as they emerged from hidden locations. Over long and challenging sorties, the Reapers’ ability to loiter for hours enabled these shooters to destroy targets that crewed aircraft might never have found. 

MQ-9s yielded perhaps the most successful hunt in history for mobile missiles and drones, dramatically degrading Iran’s capacity to strike back. The Reapers persistently denied the enemy sanctuary. 

True, a number of Reapers were shot down during Epic Fury—but here, too, the story is not a bad one. The longer any aircraft remains on station, the greater the risk that it might be shot down. With an RPA, however, there is an advantage: no pilot to be rescued in the event of a shootdown. Rescue missions are complex, dangerous, and resource intensive. Consider the 

dramatic and successful recovery of the F-15E crew in Iran in early April. Using MQ-9s throughout the campaign helped ensure an aircrew at risk behind enemy lines was a one-off event during weeks of war. 

Looking beyond Epic Fury, the use of MQ-9s over Iran also points to how tomorrow’s autonomous CCAs can be employed in the future. CCAs are intended to complement fifth- and sixth-generation fighters to make them more effective against countermeasures and enhance their capability as hunter-killers. 

Having both an F-22 to dominate the sky and an MQ-9 that can persist to attack fleeting targets provides options at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels. Likewise, CCAs should be developed to leverage the strengths unique to the uninhabited paradigm, rather than to merely mimic those of crewed fighters. Think of it like a basketball team: While a star center and star point guard are both valuable, teams would fail if they tried to play with five centers or five point guards. It takes a diversity of attributes to build a strong team. 

CCA strengths will likely center on affordable mass, risk-reduction, interoperability, and multi-mission payload flexibility. To achieve these, they will need to leverage open architectures, software-defined design, digital engineering, and rapid, iterative development. Crewed fighters, by contrast, will center on their strengths, beginning with human cognition, superior maneuverability, high-performance subsystems, stealth, teaming, and more. 

As we look to the future, the U.S. must not lose its edge in superior unmanned aircraft. MQ-9s and successor CCAs will be needed well into the future. Indeed, the Air Force should backfill combat losses today with more advanced and capable MQ-9Bs to ensure the has the aircraft inventory to meet national security requirements. The MQ-9B production line is hot, so the time to buy is now. 

At the same time, the Air Force must continue to robustly invest in next-generation CCAs and manned aircraft, systems that promise high-end combat capacity against advanced threats. Working as a team, each will bring different strengths to the fight, providing commanders with more options with which to defeat a growing range of threats against the interests of the United States and our allies. 

[백선호]

격추되어도 구조할 조종사가 없다는 것은 정말 큰 장점이죠.

53년 전 리콴유가 키신저에게 한 말이기도 하고요.

https://cafe.daum.net/NTDS/5q4/348

P.M. Lee: ... But you can't afford to lose any more prisoners.

Dr. Kissinger: We can do almost anything without losing prisoners.

P.M. Lee: How?

Dr. Kissinger: By mining the ports.

P.M. Lee: There are still surface-to-surface missiles.

[위종민]

인도태평양 전역에서도 부차적 전선에선 MQ-9B같은 걸로 수로 밀어부치는 게 답일 수도 있겠습니다. 2차대전 후반까지도 호위항모에 실어서 호송선단 호위 같은데 써먹었던 와일드캣같은 사례가 생각나네요.