Posted on 07/20/2010 1:21:52 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
Few people remember the movie Stealth with and that’s probably because it was a bit of a disaster at the box office. But those who watched it probably do remember the Artificial Intelligence-driven Uninhabited Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) named Extreme Deep Invader (EDI). You know, the one that crashes in the end.
As far as the public knows, the world’s leading aerospace companies are far from developing an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with the kind of intelligence that EDI had and just as well, considering how smart machines usually end up turning on their human masters in Hollywood flicks. They are, however, working on aircraft that will be programmed to execute a mission and will operate autonomously without human controllers.
However, in the not-so-distant future, remotely controlled UAVs and UCAVs will form the frontline of many of the world’s most advanced air forces. And in some of the world’s combat zones they already do. Used for missions ranging from reconnaissance to tactical strikes, these remote-controlled airplanes come with names like Predator, Reaper, Global Hawk and Scan Eagle.
The use of unmanned aircraft in combat is not a new phenomenon by any means. According to some accounts, the earliest recorded use involved the Austrians attacking the city of Venice with balloons loaded with explosives in 1849. Unfortunately, the winds changed and the balloons were blown back over Austrian territory.
The past century has seen several more attempts including a US Navy-led experiment with remote-controlled ‘drones’ in World War II to the Ryan Firebee drone in the 1950s and many more after that. It wasn’t until much later, however, that UAVs as we now know them were developed as defence forces sought cheaper alternatives to combat aircraft that would also reduce casualties amongst their personnel.
(Excerpt) Read more at khaleejtimes.com ...
Ping
This has been a foregone conclusion for over 40 years, as Air Force doctors and general staff, realized the weakest link/limitation in the speed and maneuverability in fighter aircraft, is the pilot. who can only take *so* much G-forces, before his brain turns to mush inside his skull.
Few people remember the movie Stealth....I remember Stealth: Jessica Biel.
Was that the movie where the heroes board a C5 by sneaking through the refueling boom?
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