Unmanned Combat Jets Fly Under Single Operator's Control

The Associated Press ^ | Aug 3, 2004 | The Associated Press

[BenLurkin]

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - Two unmanned jets being developed as a robotic combat system made a coordinated flight under the control of a single pilot-operator, Boeing researchers said Tuesday. Sunday's joint flight marked the first time such a feat was accomplished, according to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems of St. Louis.

The X-45A jets took off four minutes apart from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, joined up above the test range and flew formations that involved autonomous maneuvering to hold their positions relative to each other.

Both jets then landed on a common runway and taxied to a location where they shut down.

The workload of the pilot-operator was significantly reduced by the ability of the two jets to fly the same mission plan on their own, Boeing said.

The role of the pilot-operator is more akin to being a mission manager than a pilot, said William Barksdale, spokesman for Boeing Air Force Systems, describing the system as "fly-by-mouse."

Using a computer screen, the pilot-operator commands the aircraft to begin the mission and then monitors the progress. The operator can intervene if something goes wrong, Barksdale said.

The first X-45A flight occurred in May 2002 at Edwards. Last April, an X-45A hit a ground target with an inert 250-pound bomb.

AP-ES-08-03-04 2312EDT

[BenLurkin]

UCAV ping

[BenLurkin]

Two planes, One pilot!

[Jet Jaguar]

[VaBthang4]

[Jet Jaguar]

Neat stuff.

[BenLurkin]

Nice!

[Gunslingr3]

skynet ping

[VaBthang4]

Eventually the design'll work like a computer combat game.

The user will simply identify targets, then point and click birds onto that threat be they air or ground. Have a drop down box for commands etc, etc.

Overload a theatre of operations with 100s of platforms run by ten to twenty users.

[null and void]

And a vast cadré of video game trained 'pilots'...

[VaBthang4]

Yep.

Imagine a pair of Chinese Sukhoi SU-27s taking off and swarmed by thirty UCAVs [controlled by two users] that have all been programmed with some form of standard air-air software packages. The user just points and clicks his aircraft onto a radar blip [Chinese Sukhois] and give the command to engage.

Now imagine the numbers out exponentially. Now imagine the UCAVs being programmed with air-ground combat software.

We'll have soviet style overwhelming doctrine combined with our technology, speed, lethality. Now imagine all of this within the scope of our military's attack in echelon doctrine.

It's Montgomery Burns fiendish and scary brutal.

[It's allot of imagination but that is where it all begins]

[LiberalBassTurds]

Imagine a pair of Chinese Sukhoi SU-27s taking off and swarmed by thirty UCAVs [controlled by two users] that have all been programmed with some form of standard air-air software packages. The user just points and clicks his aircraft onto a radar blip [Chinese Sukhois] and give the command to engage.

Paints a great mental picture VaBthang4. I like it. :)

LBT

-=-=-

[arielb]

not only that but our "pilots" would be safe, calm and secure

[LouisWu]

now imagine all this under the command of another power-hungry self-serving Clintonoid who handles domestic dissent the way it was handled in Waco.

[BlazingArizona]

Two planes, One pilot!

Even Northwest probably hasn't tried pulling a stunt like that.

[arielb]

you know we also have this thing called nuclear weapons

[VaBthang4]

UNMANNED BLACK HELICOPTERS

[doug from upland]

Maybe some of our kids aren't wasting their time with joysticks. My nephew and Godson may end up being a decorated pilot.....er, operator.

[The Duke]

"I'll tell you what I'd do man...two jets at the same time!"

[Lokibob]

The weakest link of a high performance aircraft is the pilot. He can take, at the most , 9 gees, while some aircraft are quite capable of 15++ gees.