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Machine rebellion begins: Killer robot destroyed by US jet
The Register ^ | 15 Sep 2009 | Lewis Page

Posted on 09/15/2009 1:16:33 PM PDT by BGHater

Rogue droid 'was attempting to cross border'

An American "Reaper" flying hunter-killer robot assassin rebelled against its human controllers above Afghanistan on Sunday, and a manned US fighter jet was forced to shoot the rogue machine down before it unilaterally invaded a neighbouring country.

The Reaper, aka MQ-9 or Predator-B, is a large five-ton turboprop powered machine able to carry up to 14 Hellfire missiles - each capable of destroying a tank or flattening a building. It is used by the US and British forces above Afghanistan as a "persistent hunter-killer against emerging targets".

According to USAFCENT Public Affairs:

The aircraft was flying a combat mission when positive control of the MQ-9 was lost. When the aircraft remained on a course that would depart Afghanistan's airspace, a US Air Force manned aircraft took proactive measures to down the Reaper in a remote area of northern Afghanistan.

The statement goes on to say that the errant killdroid "impacted the side of a mountain" and that there "were no reports of civilian injuries".

USAFCENT don't specify just what manned jet went up against the mutinous machine, or what methods the pilot used. However the logical choice would be a fighter plane - probably an F-15, -16 or -18 - and the cheapest and most fun weapon to use would be cannon fire. Opposition from the Reaper wouldn't be an issue, as it is a low-performance aircraft compared to a jet fighter and has no air-to-air capability.

It wasn't clear from the US military announcement whether the erratic death-bot had turned on its masters and was planning an attack on critical US logistics bases located north of the Afghan border, or whether it had sickened of reaping hapless fleshies like corn and was hoping merely to escape. Alternatively the machine assassin may merely have succumbed to boredom or - just possibly - a mundane, non-anthropomorphic technical fault of some kind. ®


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Military/Veterans
KEYWORDS: droid; drone; military; robot; robotuprising
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1 posted on 09/15/2009 1:16:33 PM PDT by BGHater
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To: BGHater
It's begun!


2 posted on 09/15/2009 1:18:49 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater ("Get out of the boat and walk on the water with us!”--Sen. Joe Biden)
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To: BGHater
Well THAT didnt take long.

Sheesh! Tomorrow they will be trying to park in our air conditioned hangers here in Palm Beach.

3 posted on 09/15/2009 1:19:54 PM PDT by corkoman
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To: BGHater

Oh no! Shutdown SkyNet!


4 posted on 09/15/2009 1:20:58 PM PDT by nhoward14 (Great taglines don't end... they just fade away...)
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To: BGHater

Wait, this isn’t satire?

One step closer to the singularity, it seems.


5 posted on 09/15/2009 1:21:26 PM PDT by CarlosFonke
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To: Future Snake Eater

Skynet became sentient on Sept 15th 2009...


6 posted on 09/15/2009 1:21:50 PM PDT by Hacklehead (Liberalism is the art of taking what works, breaking it, and then blaming conservatives.)
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To: BGHater

And then the day came when the Cylons decided to kill their masters.


7 posted on 09/15/2009 1:22:38 PM PDT by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system. I am Jim Thompson.)
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To: BGHater

It isn’t a killer robot. It’s only misunderstood. Society is to blame.


8 posted on 09/15/2009 1:24:10 PM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: BGHater

And this is in the news no where else because.......?


9 posted on 09/15/2009 1:24:21 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: Future Snake Eater
Maybe they sent one of these babies after it....
10 posted on 09/15/2009 1:24:55 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: Future Snake Eater

If anyone knows a young John Connor’, please make sure he’s safe..we need him.


11 posted on 09/15/2009 1:25:13 PM PDT by max americana (i)
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To: BGHater; rom

“Love to see THAT core dump” ping!


12 posted on 09/15/2009 1:25:30 PM PDT by ROTB (Love your enemies, in the name and faith of Christ.)
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To: Squantos

duh, the robots have control of the MSM.

MainStream Machines


13 posted on 09/15/2009 1:25:40 PM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: Squantos
"And this is in the news no where else because.......?"

The other drones have already knocked out the rest of the towers ;-)

14 posted on 09/15/2009 1:26:08 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
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To: Squantos

because maybe it was a predator drone that lost communications with it’s controller due to a part or software failure, was intentionally destroyed perhaps?

Sheese, all we need are lunatics posting “the robots are running amuck” garbage!


15 posted on 09/15/2009 1:26:48 PM PDT by HD1200
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To: BGHater
It will never happen thanks to Isaac Asimov:

"Three Laws of Robotics"

A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

16 posted on 09/15/2009 1:29:16 PM PDT by Jaxter (Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum.)
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To: BGHater

17 posted on 09/15/2009 1:37:01 PM PDT by JoeProBono (A closed mouth gathers no feet)
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To: BGHater
"I'm a widow?!?"


18 posted on 09/15/2009 1:37:55 PM PDT by Dumpster Baby (We have a Watermelon Government - Environmental Green on the outside, Commie red on the inside.)
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To: BGHater
I'll start getting worried when the robots start looking like this.

Photobucket
19 posted on 09/15/2009 1:38:22 PM PDT by Bad Jack Bauer (Fat and Bald? I was BORN fat and bald, thank you very much!)
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To: Domandred
Didn't this movie have a remote drone of some kind?


20 posted on 09/15/2009 1:39:59 PM PDT by wally_bert (It's sheer elegance in its simplicity! - The Middleman)
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