dieseltaylor Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 No matter how I look at this, it still seems like science fiction – a combat aircraft without a pilot that is capable of flying itself, making its own decisions, recognizing and neutralizing threats, and taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier. Last Friday (Feb 4), the Northrop Grumman-built U.S. Navy X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D) aircraft successfully completed its historic first flight at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The era of the unmanned combat plane is fast approaching. http://www.gizmag.com/x-47b-first-flight-the-era-of-the-autonomous-unmanned-combat-plane-approaches/17817/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=51c3b77680-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email Advancing faster than I thought~! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ironbar Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 I always thought that the transport/ tanker application would be the first independent (or semi) UAV. Load an unmanned C17 with cargo, let a ground based controller get it airborne, hand it off to an automated flight router and x number of hours later another ground based controller would monitor the system for landing. Granted I wouldn't want to be a passenger on one! The same would be true for a tanker application (so long as you are using probe and drouge refuelling systems). But I guess there is a whole lot more money working in the combat systems. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalins Organ Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 You don't need a ground based controller to get it airborne - "autotakeoff" is used for many UAV's already, but is not built into larger a/c, but there is no reason why it could not be. Eg see this thread at Airliners.net 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoolaman Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 It's all fine as long as it doesn't become self-aware. How many of those pictures in that link are real photos? I'd guess only the two of takeoff and landing at Edwards airstrip. It's hard to tell if those plain gray surfaces are CG or real. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxic.zen Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 so flying terminators basically... :eek: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toxic.zen Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 as far as military tech goes these are kinda scary as well: http://robotstocknews.blogspot.com/2007/11/irobot-metal-storm-sign-warrior-deal.html 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wicky Posted February 9, 2011 Share Posted February 9, 2011 Peter Watts. Malak. (Engineering Infinity) Watts doesn’t look to far into the future in a story seen through the eyes of a semi-autonomous military killing machine. The story opens with a couple of quotes from real publications, to create the setting of the story : risk and ethics in military robotics, and collateral damage (aka killing civilians). http://www.bestsf.net/2011/01/08/peter-watts-malak-engineering-infinity/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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