AUTOMATED BLACKHAWK HELICOPTER COMPLETES FIRST FLIGHT TEST

Singularity Hub ^ | 12/11/12 | Peter Murray

[neverdem]

Does it seem believable that the wars of the future will be fought entirely with robots while humans are safely miles away, monitoring and controlling? The US military is certainly making a case for such a scenario. The latest installation is a JUH-60A Blackhawk helicopter that flies, lands, and avoids threats – all without a pilot.

The autonomous Blackhawk’s official name is Rotorcraft Airscrew Systems Concept Airborne Laboratory, or RASCAL, and it has just completed its first test flight at the Diablo Mountain Range in San Jose, California. Pilots were actually aboard during the two-hour test flight for an emergency takeover, but turned out they weren’t needed.

RASCAL’s navigation system successfully negotiated an obstacle field with terrain-sensing and statistical processing. It flew within a range of 200 to 400 feet above ground and identified a landing site – a forest clearing – and was able to hover 60 feet above the site within 1-foot accuracy. Risk assessment and threat avoidance tests were also considered a success.

Importantly, the RASCAL was operating on the fly. “No prior knowledge of the terrain was used,” Matthew Whalley, the Army’s Autonomous Rotorcraft Project lead, told Dailytech.

The RASCAL is just the latest for a military that is serious about removing its soldiers from harm’s way and letting robots do the dirty work. Already 30 percent of all US military aircraft are drones. And the navy’s X-47B robotic fighter is well on course to become the first autonomous air vehicle to take off and land on an aircraft carrier. Just days ago it completed its first catapult takeoff (from the ground).

The RASCAL is the latest automated aerial weapon for an administration that has enthusiastically embraced drones...

[Boogieman]

“Does it seem believable that the wars of the future will be fought entirely with robots while humans are safely miles away, monitoring and controlling?”

No, it doesn’t. If only one side has the robots, then they’ll still be targetting humans on the other side. If both sides have robots, they won’t just be targetting each others’ robots, they’ll also be targetting the humans controlling the robots. Either way, humans are going to be getting killed.

The most humane system of war would be to simply settle all wars with a duel, so that only one human life would need to be lost. I suggest that the heads of state be forced to fight those duels; I think it could bring about a golden age of peace the likes of which the world has never seen.

[DaveinOK54]

`SKYNET’ It’s almost here......

[freedumb2003]

The most humane system of war would be to simply settle all wars with a duel, so that only one human life would need to be lost.

How about we have 2 computers compute the results of each battle and then have the citizenry who are designated as casualties report to death booths.

A whole lot less messy and we know it doesn't cause problems with Kirk's Prime Directive...

;)

[JRandomFreeper]

I suggest that the heads of state be forced to fight those duels; I think it could bring about a golden age of peace the likes of which the world has never seen.

After Putin takes over the world. ;)

/johnny

[Mmogamer]

A taste of armageddon.

[Will_Zurmacht]

I still think a remote controlled vehicle for swift evac of wounded troops would be a great idea. And if it can shoot back, all the better.

[Jack Hydrazine]

“`SKYNET’ It’s almost here......”

Almost? LOL! Take a look at this launch notice by Arianespace Launch. And where is Skynet located? The UK, of course!

ARIANESPACE FLIGHT VA211 - SKYNET 5D & MEXSAT BICENTENARIO

THE LAUNCH READINESS REVIEW (RAL) took place in Kourou on Monday December 17, 2012 and authorized count-down operations for the SKYNET 5D and MEXSAT BICENTENARIO launch.
Arianespace will orbit two satellites on its seventh Ariane 5 launch of the year: the Skynet 5D military communications satellite for Astrium Services, on behalf of the British Ministry of Defence, and the Mexsat Bicentenario telecommunications satellite for the Mexican Secretariat of Communications and Transport.

The choice of Arianespace by leading space communications operators and manufacturers is clear international recognition of the company’s excellence in launch services.

It will be launched from the Ariane launch complex N° 3 (ELA3), in Kourou, French Guiana.

THE ARIANE 5 ECA LAUNCHER LIFT-OFF for this flight is scheduled on December 19 to 20, 2012 as soon as possible within the following launch window:

Kourou: Between 06:49pm and 08:08pm
GMT/TU: Between 09:49pm and 11:08pm
Paris: Between 10:49pm and 12:08am
Washington, DC: Between 04:49pm and 06:08pm

Watch it live at http://www.arianespace.tv/ .

[Jack Hydrazine]

Did someone say, “armageddon”? LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_Jt_g10Jug

[Seizethecarp]

This big drone could do dangerous resupply sorties to forward bases, for example in the Afghanistan mountains.

[Boogieman]

Nah, there’s no threat of Skynet. I work in IT, and trust me, if there weren’t humans constantly trying to fix these machines and keep them running, they’d all fall apart within a few years.

[Boogieman]

Well, the beauty of my proposal is, even if it didn’t work to prevent a war, it would still succeed in eliminating at least one politician.

[bmwcyle]

It is here.

[Boogieman]

Not after we elect Chuck Norris as President!