Fully Autonomous Fighter Planes?

[WMGroomAK]

Soooo, the US Air Force, working with Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks has made yet another 'improvement' in fully autonomous drone technology.  Previously, the USAF has been able to use F-16 fighter jet drones as target practice for the newer F-35's to destroy, however, their technicians have made a more advanced version of this F-16 Drone.  From an article on Hot Hardware:

 

http://hothardware.com/news/us-airforce-demonstrates-f-16-drone-take-out-targets-autonomously

Quote

...Now the Air Force has announced fully autonomous air-to-air and ground strike capabilities that it developed in conjunction with Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks. Talk about a 'holy hell' moment
 

"This demonstration is an important milestone in AFRL's maturation of technologies needed to integrate manned and unmanned aircraft in a strike package," said Capt. Andrew Petry, AFRL autonomous flight operations engineer. "We've not only shown how an Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle can perform its mission when things go as planned, but also how it will react and adapt to unforeseen obstacles along the way."
 

During the demonstration, an experimental unmanned F-16 aircraft showed how it can react to a dynamic threat environment during an air-to-ground strike mission. It planned and executed the mission on its own, deciding the best route and strategies based on mission priorities and available assets. The aircraft was also able to react to changing threats and adjust its course of action accordingly.

While this is really neat in the way that it removes pilots from the threat zone during combat operations in the same way as other UAV technology has done, this is implying that the computer is actually doing a lot of the planning, threat assessment and striking in these scenarios, which is definitely something that I'm hoping has been well thought out by the programmers...  

[RollinLower]

soo... who else is waiting for one of these to go rogue and destroy a civillian area?

[Zando_]

3 minutes ago, WMGroomAK said:

...this is implying that the computer is actually doing a lot of the planning, threat assessment and striking in these scenarios, which is definitely something that I'm hoping has been well thought out by the programmers...  

Hydra is real? 

[NumLock21]

So future fighter pilots will never get to experience, what it's like to be in the pilot's seat and feel the G-Forces. 

[FPSwithaWacomTablet]

So, a with a war without soldiers, where will the casualties lie next?

[silberdrachi]

3 minutes ago, FPSwithaWacomTablet said:

So, a with a war without soldiers, where will the casualties lie next?

The same place they have always have. Wars are rarely ever solved by killing people. Instead wars are won and lost by money and resources. The easiest way to win a war is to make it too expensive for them to continue fighting.

[TOMPPIX]

[ZeusXI]

21 minutes ago, FPSwithaWacomTablet said:

So, a with a war without soldiers, where will the casualties lie next?

When terminators start popping up

[FPSwithaWacomTablet]

6 minutes ago, TOMPPIX said:

Remind me that I need to rewatch this movie... I still have the DVD from when it came out 

[Devin92]

35 minutes ago, NumLock21 said:

So future fighter pilots will never get to experience, what it's like to be in the pilot's seat and feel the G-Forces. 

just install a nvdia driver and you will get the 'g-force' experience

[IMPERIUS]

robo-wars but actual wars

[Okjoek]

edit: nevermind

[SSL]

1 hour ago, RollinLower said:

soo... who else is waiting for one of these to go rogue and destroy a civillian area?

 

As opposed to now, where totally no civilian casualties occur, ever?

[Teddy07]

I would like to work for weapons manufacturers

[Okjoek]

I want to see this:

 

[RollinLower]

22 minutes ago, SSL said:

 

As opposed to now, where totally no civilian casualties occur, ever?

Well, i mean those are targeted intentionally most of the time

[Dylanc1500]

So how long till it gets struck by lighting, becomes self aware, goes rogue, then becomes emotional and becomes a hero and sacrifices himself?

[Master Disaster]

Won't ever happen. Look at all the fuss and red tape being caused over driverless vehicles on the roads, now imagine arming those vehicles with missiles and setting them loose.

 

Yes I know its the military and they can sidestep some of the red tape but fully armed, pilotless and full sized aircraft flying around? Nah, no chance.

[Doobeedoo]

It's only matter of time this was going to be though.

[KE2012]

Does this really surprise anyone? The thing holding back most planes these days are the soft squishy humans in control.

[Jito463]

Power this with the Ryzen's artificial neuron, and you've got the makings for Skynet.

[Zeruel]

8 hours ago, Okjoek said:

I want to see this:

 

 

This is better....