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| Science & Technology |
| Britain Creates Robotic Wingmen |
| 2006-12-03 |
| Britain has developed software that enables UAVs to operate independently, but cooperatively, under the command of a manned aircraft, on combat missions. The UAVs would, most of the time, take care of themselves, following the plan of the operation they were programmed with. But the pilot of manned aircraft could order any of the UAVs to deviate from the plan. The key to all this is flight control software, and artificial intelligence, that is capable enough to make it all work. The UAVs also constantly communicate with each other, and function "cooperatively" (to avoid collisions, or two UAVs attacking the same target, and so on). Since computers are running all this, the reactions are quicker than with human pilots. The UAVs can perform a number of dangerous missions, like attacking air defenses, searching for targets on the ground, or defending the entire "package" (the manned aircraft and all the UAVs) from enemy aircraft. The UAVs can be used more aggressively, because you are not risking the lives of pilots. If the manned aircraft is shot down, the UAVs have their programmed orders to complete the mission, or immediately break off and return to base. It's also possible to use this software so that one human operator on the ground can control a swarm (half a dozen or so) UAVs for, say, a recon mission, to scour an area for enemy targets. This saves a lot of skilled manpower, as all you need is someone to review the video. And increasingly powerful software is capable of doing that as well, leaving only for the human analyst to confirm that something important has been found. This kind of software has been around, in a conceptual form, for decades. But it took powerful enough hardware (in terms of computing power, and high quality digital vidcams), and decades of tweaking the software, to reach the point where the stuff actually works. |
| Posted by:Anonymoose |
| #10 Why don't we make the Polecat out of clear plastic? Who says it has to be opaque? It would be even harder to see, and a maintenance dream! :-) |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-03 23:52 |
| #9 Manpower differentials are not meaningful when we can inflict 200 to 1 casualty ratios such as during Gulf Wars I & II Most of GWI's were from Saddam's lucky shot on that one base after the war was pretty much over. Most of GWII's are from low blows and decisions in favor of being PC. If the gloves come off, it will be interesting indeed. |
| Posted by: gorb 2006-12-03 23:49 |
| #8 "Four times more men in fighting age" - but like the Russkis, are dying before or during their Middle Age. What Socialism's Wars didn't kill off, Socialism in peacetime is, even in IRAN > STRATEGYPAGE > Iranian women stopped having babies/kids. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2006-12-03 23:47 |
| #7 Linky no worky, 3dc. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-03 23:08 |
| #6 With the current costs of bombs and missiles I like the idea of printing custom ones for custom tasks. It could be a massive cost savings. Imagine an arms depot that consists of 3d printers, power, explosives, sintering material, engines and coumputer modules. Talk about demand inventory! one link to 3d aerospace printing discussion |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-12-03 21:00 |
| #5 Think what we can inflict when the PC restraints are gone. Yup, ed, the biggest technology breakthrough required is changing a few synapses. We already have sufficient firepower. |
| Posted by: Zenster 2006-12-03 20:33 |
| #4 You're not too far off Anonymoose. Think cheap, easy to mass produce composite attack UAVs. Polecat Manpower differentials are not meaningful when we can inflict 200 to 1 casualty ratios such as during Gulf Wars I & II. Think what we can inflict when the PC restraints are gone. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-12-03 19:09 |
| #3 But there is a downside Anonymoose. Telling a girl "I'm a combat pilot" will get you an answer "I don't date video geeks". |
| Posted by: gromgoru 2006-12-03 17:16 |
| #2 I see the next aviation revolution as being in using vast numbers of Predator-or-smaller-sized UAVs that in mass production have about the cost of an automobile. Flown in mass, they could easily establish air superiority by sheer numbers; overwhelm and destroy SAM defenses; be used like GPS guided buzz bombs; even jam a very large area's broadcast traffic. If they are going to be used as buzz bombs, I can imagine them being made from the cheapest possible materials, guided by a inexpensive electronic brain and servo motor to pull its guidance wires. The shell might even be made of thick hard plastic, except in high temperature areas. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-12-03 13:30 |
| #1 IIUC, the muslim world taken as a whole has four times more men in fighting age than the West does. This is the kind of tech that could level this gap if Hell should ever break lose. |
| Posted by: anonymous5089 2006-12-03 11:48 |