Cylons-R-US

One of the frontiers of Future Combat Systems is Robotics.

Why draft 'em when you can make 'em?

One of the more successful efforts in Robotics has to do with Unmanned Aircraft, possibly because autopilots were one of the first artificial intelligence systems.

It is curious that DARPA releases what ought to be one of its most exciting and revolutionary but practical concepts in robot aircraft in a document that can be captured and distributed to every techno-geek, competing foreign government, or budding terrorist that reads the web.

A lot of this materiel is being used as I write. A lot is in the pilot stage, and some hasn't begun to be tested.

For what's new, for example, check out (p.6):

2.1.3 RQ-4 Global Hawk
User Service: Air Force
Manufacturer: Northrop Grumman
Inventory: 12 Delivered/58 Planned (7 ACTD + 51 Production aircraft)
Background: The Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk is a high altitude, long endurance UA designed to provide wide area coverage of up to 40,000 nm2 per day. The size differences between the RQ-4A (Block 10) and RQ-4B (Blocks 20, 30, 40) models are shown above. Global Hawk completed its first flight in February 1998 and transitioned from an ACTD into engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) in March 2001. Global Hawk carries both an EO/IR sensor and a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) with moving target indicator (MTI) capability, allowing day/night, all-weather reconnaissance. Sensor data is relayed over CDL LOS (X-band) and/or beyond line- of-site (BLOS) (Ku-band SATCOM) data links to its mission control element (MCE), which distributes imagery to up to seven theater exploitation systems...

Is it only me, or is it a strange thing for DARPA to brag about it's newest spy drones, and the models about to be built? Is it odd to talk about- to advertise futuristic experimental and doubtless (in other documents) Top Secret unmanned stealth fighters like (p. 11)

Boeing X-45C (L) and Northrop Grumman X-47B (R) J-UCAS Demonstrators
...
Characteristics:

Model---------------X-45C------------X-47B
Length--------------39 ft-------------38 ft
Wing Span-----------49 ft-------------62 ft
Gross Weight--------36,500 lb---------46,000 lb
Payload Capacity----4,500 lb----------4,500 lb
...

And more. Lots more. Fuel capacity, engine make, max/loiter speeds, ceiling, all the specifications someone who might have to fight it might want to know.

Or how about the brand new system DARPA wants to add to augment our ability to watch incoming Cruise missiles?

2.5.3 Joint Land Attack Elevated Netted Sensor (JLENS)
User Service: Joint (Army Lead)
Manufacturer: Raytheon/TCOM
Inventory: 12 Planned
Background: JLENS is primarily intended to tackle the growing threat of cruise missiles to U.S. forces deployed abroad with radars to provide over-the-horizon surveillance. A JLENS system consists of two aerostats, one containing a surveillance radar (SuR) and one containing a precision track illumination radar (PTIR). Each aerostat is tethered to a mobile mooring station and attached to a processing station via a fiber optic/power tether. The SuR provides the initial target detection and the
cueing to the PTIR, which generates a fire control quality track. The JLENS system is integrated into the joint tactical architecture via Link 16, cooperative engagement capability, single-channel ground and air radio system, and enhanced position location reporting system. Both radar systems will include identification, friend or foe interrogators...---p.33

It's a blimp, for crying out loud, a stationary target, and now anybody firing a cruise missile realizes they might want to shoot these things down first...

How much money are they spending building and implementing these toys? Not to mention shooting their surprise potential down before it's started.

(see Table 2.6-1). In the wake of September 11, 2001, FY03 was the first billion-dollar year in UAS history and FY05 will be the first two billion-dollar year (see Figure 2.6-1 and Tables 2.6-2 and 2.6-3). The U.S. UAS inventory is expected to grow from 250 today to 675 by 2010 and 1400 by 2015 (not including micro and mini UA) and to support a wider range of missions—e.g. signals intelligence (SIGINT), cargo, communication relay, and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD)—compared to today’s imagery reconnaissance and strike roles.--pp.36-37.

One gets the impression it's been a good wake indeed.

Keeping this stuff Top Secret would be a little silly, particularly since our buddies the Russians are not only kissy-face with Dear Leader (like our buddies the Saudis) they're actually building a lot of stuff for us and deploying their own models (see pp 38-40).

And, presumably, buying it from- us? Or more precisely, the people who own the US these days. The whole document reads like an advertising brochure, and not just for Northop-Grumman or General Atomics. Because it's not just private contractors building this stuff, it's private contractors running it. Or showing the D.o'D. how to use it:

All DoD UAS operating today employ contractors to conduct the majority of their UAS training requirements....
-p.76

The entire document is splashed with Heroic high tech soldiers in Iraq, usually manly crewcut men (Jeff Gannon would fit right in) deploying drone aircraft designed to watch- and shoot at- insurgents.

There's a whole Homeland Security section. Yes, Virginia, they are watching you. They even show action pictures of it.

Where is all this vast and shiny expenditure heading? Why, to autonomous Warfighters, of course.

The number one future priority:

1. Develop and operationally assess for potential fielding a joint unmanned combat aircraft system capable of performing SEAD/Strike/Electronic Attack/ISR in high threat environments. (OSD, USAF, USN)...
-p. 75

This is all part of the Joint Roadmap for Robotics, downloadable at http://www.jointrobotics.com/activities_new/masterplan.shtml.

You know I'll have more to say about that later.

Note that the D.o'D. is again using a contractors to distribute a roadmap of current equipment, experimental plans, and projections for the next 25 years.

That's so the War Machine can franchise itself.