First Robotic Drone Squadron Deployed 772
coondoggie writes with a link to a Network World blog post on the world's first unmanned attack squadron. The US is deploying a full squadron of combat drones to Iraq this week. These armed and remotely controlled robots can be manipulated from on the ground in the field, or via satellite from thousands of miles away. "The MQ-9 Reaper is the Air Force's first hunter-killer unmanned aircraft. It is the big brother to the highly successful and sometimes controversial Predator aircraft, which General Atomics said this week had flown over 300,000 flight hours, with over 80% of that time spent in combat. The company said Predator series aircraft have flown an average of 8,200 hours per month over the past six months while maintaining the highest operational readiness rates in the U.S. military aircraft inventory. The MQ-9 Reaper is twice as fast as the Predator - it has a 900-horsepower turbo-prop engine, compared to the 119-horsepower Predator engine - and can carry far more ordnance - 14 Hellfire missiles as opposed to two."
First Skynet! (Score:5, Funny)
I for one, welcome our new robotic drone overlords (Score:0, Funny)
From a long time ago; (Score:5, Funny)
Interesting... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:First Skynet! - "I'll be back!" (Score:2, Funny)
someone beat me to the overlord comment (Score:3, Funny)
Re:There should be some way for civilian control (Score:5, Funny)
In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
Holy War (Score:5, Funny)
*shakes head*
Re:Someone explain this (Score:2, Funny)
1) Remove hard physical requirements for pilots 2) Hire Halo players 3) Profit!
General Atomics (Score:3, Funny)
Re:There should be some way for civilian control (Score:2, Funny)
Until the Iranians figure out the identification method and fool them by gaining weight and talking loudly.
Re:It's also a psychological weapon. (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, those ingrates. The people whose countries we invade never appreciate the sacrifices we make for them.
Re:From a long time ago; (Score:3, Funny)
Heheh...in a slightly different vein, I was kind of thinking after reading the title "First Robotic Drone Squadron Deployed ", that this was a thread about the current group of presidential candidates.
They all seem pretty coached to be robotic, and drone on and on saying nothing in fear of saying something wrong.
Re:Robotic? (Score:3, Funny)
my flying a regular RC plane qualifies as TERRIFYING.
Crashing into cars, ground, trees, other people, animals. Something that is unpredictable and ready to cause direct bodily harm at a moments notice in spite of the operators desires is terrifying.
Re:From a long time ago; (Score:4, Funny)
Better yet (Score:4, Funny)
Re:There should be some way for civilian control (Score:5, Funny)
I agree -- we should replace our current government with one where the head of state and head of government is a civilian, and put them in charge of all our military branches.
Re:My assessment (Score:4, Funny)
Brilliant!
Re:That can happen in a smaller way (Score:3, Funny)
"H-K's?" "Hunter-Killers." (Score:3, Funny)
"No. I grew up after. In the ruins... starving... hiding from H-K's."
"H-K's?"
"Hunter-Killers: patrol machines built in automated factories. Most of us were rounded up, put in camps for orderly disposal."
"You stay down by day, but at night you can move around. You still have to be careful because the H-Ks use infra-red. But they're not too bright. John taught us ways to dust them. That's when the infiltrators started to appear."
Re:Yes... (Score:1, Funny)
reminds me of a joke;
whats the difference between a bunch of yanks and toast - you can make soldiers out of the toast