The X47B: Designed to be a carrier based unmanned aircraft, it
has no pilot. But it is not a drone.
It operates autonomously. Like all
technology, it has
its benefits - and chilling downsides as well.
The X-47B: Killing
without ‘Scruple or Conscience’ (News, Switzerland)
“One of the
dystopian scenarios that have likely become a permanent fixture of popular
culture is the opening scene of Terminator 2, in which murderous robots hunt
down their human opponents. While it probably won't come to that, it is quite
possible that in 20 years time, people will be systematically killed off by
unmanned machines - as opposed to drones, in which case there is still a
person, albeit at a great distance, behind the control stick and at the
trigger.”
When fighter jet designers are asked what most impedes the
construction of their weapons systems, the answer is often: the pilot. Because
pilots have to breathe, must not freeze to death, and need a heavy, complicated
ejection seat and cockpit. How nice that such annoyances
will soon be a thing of the past.
Are you familiar with the X-47B? You don't really have to
be, but next year, the aircraft, which seems like something out of a science
fiction movie, will usher in a new era in flight, if it successfully performs
one of the most difficult landing maneuvers there is - and chances are good
that it will - of landing on an aircraft carrier. There will be no pilot on
board and no one will steer or guide the aircraft by remote control. The
landing, like the initial takeoff, will be completely autonomous, with the
aircraft kanding according to information relayed to it by flight deck personnel. And if necessary, it will even
abort the landing and try again. That is why the X-47B will not be a drone,
although the aircraft has become known as such.
The X-47B is the first robotic aircraft that has such
capabilities, while still being extremely quick and agile in the air.
Nevertheless, these flying robots will never appear on the world's battlefields
but will likely be stowed away shortly after the landing tests in a U.S. Navy
hangar.
But the direction is clear: The technology used here will
find its way into other aircraft - both military and civilian. In commercial
aircraft - even if the idea makes us uncomfortable - this could bring enormous
gains in safety. If a robotic pilot had intervened in 2009 in the case of Air
France flight 447 from Rio to Paris, a crash in which 228 people lost their
lives in the Atlantic, we may have come away with a shock, since this type of
device, in contrast to the pilots, would not have incorrectly interpreted the
situation.
In this respect, the test must be considered a positive
development for flight safety, especially as we know that the technology can
already be incorporated into existing aircraft. But these weren't the concerns
that motivated the U.S. Navy and manufacturer, Northrup
Grumman, to build this flying robot. First and foremost, it is about improving
the effectiveness of air combat.
One of the dystopian scenarios that have likely become a
permanent fixture of popular culture is the opening scene of Terminator 2, in
which murderous robots - humanoid, but as rolling tanks or planes - hunt down
their human opponents. While it probably won't come to that, it is quite
possible that in 20 years time, people will be systematically killed off by
unmanned machines - as opposed to remote-controlled drones, in which case there
is still a person, albeit at a great distance, behind the control stick and at
the trigger.
Since the robotic planes need not take a pilot's profound
physical limitations into account, they will eventually outmaneuver any
aircraft navigated by a person. In an emergency, even the riskiest maneuvers
are possible, and since weight, size, and price - if produced on the
appropriate scale - should also be much lower than for conventional fighter
planes, it is likely that the X-47B will usher in a new era of warfare: one in
which one side loses only materiel, while the other loses lives, and in which
those doing the killing aren't held back by conscience or scruples.
Of course, sooner or later, the opponent will upgrade as
well. But that does little to improve the situation. During ground attacks,
civilians will suffer the greatest loss of life and blood just as they do
today. Meanwhile, that grisly factor that continues to force governments to
persist in their pursuit of peace will be eliminated: the coffins of fallen
soldiers. And since these are also important factors when it comes to NOT
starting a war, it seems likely that the "offspring" of this rather
ugly experimental aircraft will greatly reduce the inhibitions of politicians
when it comes to launching a conflict.
