From:-
Bruce Davis
To:-
Trevor Luttrell
Subject:- It's
too late - the future is here - DRONES...Top Gun in the
21st century
Top
Gun in the 21st century:
Test
pilots left standing on deck as they launch new
'stealth' plane from an aircraft carrier for the first
time... using handheld consoles. The Northrop
Grumman X-47B is the first drone designed to take off
and land from an aircraft carrierThat means it can be
deployed across the world without the need for foreign
airfields to operate it is also the first drone able to
fly itself using AI, sparking fears its human
controllers could lose control of it
The U.S. Navy launched an unmanned, autonomous aircraft
the size of a fighter jet from a warship for the first
time today, a development that could herald the end of
Top Gun-style piloted air combat missions.
The X-47B drone is the first designed to operate an
aircraft carrier, which allows it to be used around the
world without needing permission to take off from
airfields in other countries.
But there are concerns about the legality of what has
been dubbed America 's 'covert drone war'. Strikes cause
widespread civilian deaths and operate with only limited
oversight, critics say.
Controllers: Northrop Grumman test pilots, Dave Lorenz,
centre, and Bruce McFadden, left, prepare to launch the
new X-47B off the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George
H.W. Bush off the coast of Virginia this morning. They
issue orders to the autonomous drone using their
forearm-mounted Control Display Units seen in this
picture
Ready to go: Flight crews give the X-47B's controllers a
signal to launch. The drone is the first to operate from
an aircraft carrier, which allows it to be deployed
around the world with no need for permission to use
airfields in other countries - increasingly difficult
given the condemnation of the U.S. governments use of
drone strikes
Lift off: The drone takes off from the end of the George
H.W. Bush's flight deck. The X-47B is able to operate
totally using artificial intelligence in its on-board
computers which merely need to be set objectives by the
drone's human operators. Critics have warned the
technology is a step towards the development of 'killer
robots'
Aside from its ability to operate from aircraft
carriers, another big difference between the X-47B and
previous drones is that it does not need to be piloted
by remote control.
Instead, it is controlled by a forearm-mounted box
called the Control Display Unit which sends orders to an
on-board computer which is able to use artificial
intelligence to think for itself, plotting course
corrections and charting new directions.
The unmanned drone will be set an objective by a human
operator, for example a target to look at or bomb, and
then it will navigate its way there using technology
such as GPS, autopilot and collision avoidance sensors.
Critics have warned the introduction of such AI into
military weapons systems is a step towards the
development of autonomous 'killer robots'. Navy
officials say the drone will give them around-the-clock
intelligence, surveillance and targeting capabilities.
Success: The prototype X-47B took off successfully this
morning and made two low approaches to the ship before
heading back toward land
Prototype: The test aircraft isn't intended for
operational use; instead, the military is using the
information it gathers to develop the drone program
The prototype X-47B took off successfully this morning
from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George H.
W. Bush in the Atlantic Ocean off Virginia and made two
low approaches to the ship before heading back toward
land.
The test aircraft, which has been designed and built by
the weapons maker Northrop Grumman, isn't intended for
operational use; instead, the military is using the
information it gathers during these demonstrations to
develop the drone program.
The Navy already operates two other unmanned aircraft:
the small, low cost ScanEagle, which does not carry
weapons; and the Fire Scout, which is armed but built
more like a helicopter.
Awesome: Reporters wearing U.S. Navy-issued protective
gear peer up as the X-47B makes a pass over the deck of
the George H. W. Bush in the clear morning skies
Advanced: The X-47B can reach an altitude of more than
40,000ft, has a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles
and can reach high subsonic speeds, claims the navy
Fully autonomous: Mr Lorenz, Northrop Grumman's deck
operator, drives an X-47B using his arm-mounted
controller. It is fully autonomous in flight, relying on
computer programs to tell it where it to go unless a
mission operator needs to step in. The Pentagon has
promised that it needs human intervention in order to
open fire
Both the military and the CIA use armed Predator and
Reaper drones in surveillance and strike operations
around the world. But while the military uses them
routinely alongside troops in Afghanistan and other
warzones, the spy agency has conducted frequent strikes
in countries in which the U.S. is not officially at war.
Over the past 11 years in Yemen , 333 people have been
reported killed, including 47 civilians, among them two
children, in confirmed U.S. drone strikes, according to
figures collated by the Bureau of Investigative
Journalism.
A suspected 96 further drone attacks in the Middle East
country have killed as many as 445, including 50
civilians and ten children.
In Somalia over the past six years, as many as 27 have
been reported killed by drones, with up to 15 of those
reported as being civilian bystanders.
And in the border regions of Pakistan, where the U.S.
has carried out the most covert drone strikes, as many
as 3,533 people, including 884 civilians (197 of whom
were children), have been reported killed by CIA drone
strikes over the past nine years - triggering sharp
criticism from the government there.
Although the drone attacks were started under the Bush
administration in 2004, they have been stepped up
enormously under President Obama. Obama's top
counter-terrorism adviser, John Brennan, has argued the
U.S. has the right to unilaterally strike terrorists
anywhere in the world.
'Because we are engaged in an armed conflict with al-
Qaeda, the United States takes the legal position that,
in accordance with international law, we have the
authority to take action against al-Qaeda and its
associated forces,'he
told a conference at
Harvard Law School last year.
'The United States does not view our authority to use
military force against al-Qaeda as being restricted
solely to "hot" battlefields like Afghanistan .'
Rise of the machines: Critics like the pressure group
Human Rights Watch have warned the introduction of AI
into military weapons systems is a step towards the
development of autonomous 'killer robots'. Navy
officials say the drone will give them around-the-clock
intelligence, surveillance and targeting capabilities
Human Rights Watch has called for a pre-emptive ban on
the development and use of any unmanned systems that
carry weapons and are able to select and engage targets
with no human intervention. There are increasing fears
that human scientists could one day lose control of
computer-based artificial intelligence systems
The X-47B can reach an altitude of more than 40,000ft,
has a range of more than 2,100 nautical miles and can
reach high subsonic speeds, according to the navy.
It is fully autonomous in flight, relying on computer
programs to tell it where it to go unless a mission
operator needs to step in. That differs from other
drones used by the military, which are more often
piloted from remote locations.
'For us, the question is where do you draw line? We're
saying you need to draw the line when you have a fully
autonomous system that is weaponised. We're saying you
must have meaningful human control over key battlefield
decisions of who lives and who dies. That should not be
left up to the weapons system itself.'
Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human
Rights Watch
It is not yet clear whether the drone will be able to
open fire without explicit authorisation from its
controller. The Pentagon last November vowed that no
robot weapon would be able to decide when to attack
humans.
That promise came as Human Rights Watch issued a warning
that autonomous 'killer robots' could find their way
onto battlefields within 20 years, or even sooner.
The group has called for a pre-emptive ban on the
development and use of any unmanned systems that carry
weapons and are able to select and engage targets with
no human intervention.
That possibility is particularly alarming in light of
increasing fears that human scientists could one day
lose control of computer-based artificial intelligence
systems. Cambridge University has even opened a centre
where leading academics will study the existential
threat that out-of-control robots could potentially pose
to humanity.
Today's tests show the trend toward greater autonomy 'is
not one that is going to be stopped,' said Steve Goose,
director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch.
'For us, the question is where do you draw line? We're
saying you need to draw the line when you have a fully
autonomous system that is weaponised,' he said.
'We're saying you must have meaningful human control
over key battlefield decisions of who lives and who
dies. That should not be left up to the weapons system
itself.'
An X-47B drone taxis in front of an F/A18 fighter plane
as it is prepared for take off: The aircraft is as yet
not equipped with military hardware, but is designed for
ample space to accommodate bombs and surveillance
equipment. Eliminating the need for life-support
equipment frees up the room for two 2,000lb bomb bays
Space saver: The X-47B has a wingspan of more than 62
feet - wider than that of an F/A-18 Super Hornet - so
they must be folded up to conserve space at sea
Sailors move the X-47B into position on the George H. W.
Bush's flight deck prior to its test flight today:
Before the drones can become commonplace the military
has to prove they can operate in the harsh conditions
aboard a sea-borne aircraft carrier. The aircraft used a
steam catapult to launch, just like a traditional Navy
war plane
The aircraft is as yet not equipped with military
hardware, but is designed for ample space to accommodate
bombs and surveillance equipment. Not having a pilot
eliminated the need for much of the life support
equipment and other essentials that humans need to
survive at high altitudes, giving it the space for up to
two 2,000lb bombs.
Before the drones can become commonplace, however, the
military has to prove they can operate in the harsh
conditions aboard an aircraft carrier at sea.
The aircraft used a steam catapult to launch, just like
a traditional Navy warplane does.
While the tailless plane has not yet landed on the
aircraft carrier, the Navy plans to conduct those tests
soon. Landing on a moving aircraft carrier is considered
one of the most difficult challenges Navy pilots face.
An X-47B is lifted on an aircraft elevator to the
carrier's deck: While the tailless plane has not yet
landed on the aircraft carrier, the Navy plans to
conduct those tests soon. Landing on a moving aircraft
carrier is considered one of the most difficult
challenges Navy pilots face
Nearly there: Earlier this month, the Navy successfully
conducted a landing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River
in Maryland where the X-47B used a tailhook on the
aircraft to catch a cable and suddenly stop, just as
planes landing on carriers have to do
'These are exciting times for the Navy as we are truly
doing something that has never been done before -
something I never imagined could be done during my
29-year naval career,' said Rear Admiral Mat Winter, the
Navy's program executive officer for unmanned aviation
and strike weapons, in blog post published yesterday.
Following the test launch, the plane made a series of
approaches toward the aircraft carrier before landing at
Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland .
Earlier this month, the Navy successfully conducted a
landing at that air station where the X-47B used a
tailhook on the aircraft to catch a cable and suddenly
stop, just as planes landing on carriers have to do.
In the 2014 fiscal year, the Navy plans to demonstrate
that the X-47B can be refuelled in flight.
The program cost is $1.4billion over eight years. A
planned variant of the craft, the X-47C will have a
larger payload provision of 10,000lbs and a wingspan of
172ft.
DEATH FROM ABOVE: THE TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS OF THE
U.S. NAVY'S LATEST STEALTH DRONE
·
Design: Tailless,
cranked-kite
·
Wingspan: 62ft
·
Length: 32ft
·
Max
Altitude: >40,000ft
·
Speed: High
subsonic
·
Max
Unrefuelled Range: >2,100
nautical miles
·
Max
Unrefuelled Flight Time: >6
hours
·
Take-off
Weight: 44,000lbs
·
Powerplant: Pratt
& Whitney F100-PW-220U]
·
Twin
Weapons Bays: 4,500lbs
payload
