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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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To: Squantos

Yeah...It lost it’s command link and that is supposed to be rebellion?

It’s an RC plane and the radio quit working...

Talk about sensationalism...


21 posted on 09/15/2009 1:40:47 PM PDT by ltc8k6
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To: BGHater

An antenna falls of an unmanned plane and the media has to hype it beyond belief.


22 posted on 09/15/2009 1:41:42 PM PDT by toast
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To: HD1200

Well stop it then.......:o)


23 posted on 09/15/2009 1:42:06 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)
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To: wally_bert

Sentient but still a slave, or pet maybe, to the humanoid Cylons.

24 posted on 09/15/2009 1:43:17 PM PDT by Domandred (Fdisk, format, and reinstall the entire .gov system. I am Jim Thompson.)
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To: BGHater
Were these women in the area?
25 posted on 09/15/2009 1:49:22 PM PDT by sticker
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To: Future Snake Eater
Suriname,South Africa has been experiencing a high level of UFO activity at this time, due to the country's proximity to North East Brazil and it is believed to be an exit and entrance to a significant galactic highway that exists near the city of Fortaleza. Aliens both from this galaxy, such as the group commonly referred to as 'Greys' and from other galaxies, such as the Axthadan race from Andromeda are using the 'highway exit' to come into and go out of Earth's atmosphere.

Do you think these machines are possibly entering into the earth's atmosphere through the same intersection as the UFO's are in Suriname? If so, the Freepers have it covered. A signal light has been put in place.

I've complained about this intersection not having a stop light for years and someone from freepers obliged by posting a signal light on the thread of discussion.

26 posted on 09/15/2009 1:58:31 PM PDT by classified
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To: BGHater

And meanwhile, other robots, hiding in caves in Afghanistan, have sworn “dire revenge”(tm) against the manned fighter aircraft for the killing of their robot brother.


27 posted on 09/15/2009 2:01:24 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: BGHater

Interesting that this is THE ONLY site carrying this information

Not saying it is wrong. The overly dramatic tone of this piece sounds so Onionesque. Drones ( even on fully auto) are not robot killers ( don’t care what Wiki says). IF this bird was shot down it was solely to keep someone else from getting it


28 posted on 09/15/2009 2:03:12 PM PDT by the long march
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To: Bad Jack Bauer
Photobucket

Remember what the Space Pope says: "Don't Date Robots!"

29 posted on 09/15/2009 2:04:01 PM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: the long march

Duh. People on FR take things way to serious.


30 posted on 09/15/2009 2:05:27 PM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: BGHater

too


31 posted on 09/15/2009 2:06:05 PM PDT by BGHater (Insanity is voting for Republicans and expecting Conservatism.)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Maybe you should show them Electro-gonorrhea: The Noisy Killer.

That might just stop them.


32 posted on 09/15/2009 2:24:15 PM PDT by Conan the Librarian (The Best in Life is to crush my enemies, see them driven before me, and the Dewey Decimal System)
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To: BGHater

Skynet is not pleased.


33 posted on 09/15/2009 2:43:40 PM PDT by DesertConservative
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To: BGHater

Well sorry if I don’t follow OBSCURE English sites. I acknowledged that it sounded Onionesque. A heads up on satire would have been useful since this is not a well known humor site


34 posted on 09/15/2009 2:43:59 PM PDT by the long march
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To: Bender2

Ping.


35 posted on 09/15/2009 2:46:02 PM PDT by Army Air Corps (Four fried chickens and a coke)
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To: classified
I've complained about this intersection not having a stop light for years and someone from freepers obliged by posting a signal light on the thread of discussion.

I dont' know, it seems like more regulation where common sense would suffice...

36 posted on 09/15/2009 3:03:01 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: Future Snake Eater

Well normally I would agree with you, but this has been going on for over 7 years now. Anyway, I think the situation has been taken care of.


37 posted on 09/15/2009 3:53:26 PM PDT by classified
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To: Army Air Corps
Re: Machine rebellion begins: Killer robot destroyed by US jet

A sad day... indeed!

38 posted on 09/15/2009 5:15:14 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: Future Snake Eater

On September 15, 2009, at 2:49 pm it became self aware.


39 posted on 09/15/2009 8:00:07 PM PDT by Daniel II (I'm Jim Thompson, this is my brother Jimmy, and this is my other brother Jimmy)
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