19 missiles fired from UAVs in one attack in Pakistan

[paracowboy]

Al Jazeera English - CENTRAL/S. ASIA - Deaths in Pakistan 'drone' attack

Can't say I have ever heard of using Predators or Reapers in packs.

[BloodBane611]

Yeah, that's definitely new. Doesn't sound like it was that effective though, with other single drone attacks killing up to 10 or 12 people, massed drones only kill 25-30?

[paracowboy]

DAWN.COM | Provinces | US missile strike kills at least ten militants

Pakistani sources reporting 10 killed and 18 missiles fired. I wonder how many pylons the predators have.

[[R-DEV]Outlawz7]

Either overkill or there were more militants who got vaporized in the attack.

[burghUK]

maybe they were quite spread out or...moving fast.

[paracowboy]

Al Jazeera English now reporting 17 fighters killed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ-RY132rkc

[Sidewinder Zulu]

I imagine in the near future they will begin implementing systems in armed UAVs that allow them to send data, coordinate attacks, and relay targets to eachother in small hunter-killer groups without human intervention. Computers can be very good at planning sophisticated attacks that would take humans longer to sort out. Kinda how computers always beat humans at chess.

I'm guessing that events like this with multiple drones conducting an attack will become more common as battlefield networking and AI advances.

I heard a while back that the US and other countries were planning drones that were designed for air-to-air combat, with AIM-9s and such. I think the idea was that once they have a target, they can be released on autopilot, and sent to kill the enemy aircraft. Because like it or not, computers have better reflexes than humans, and an advanced drone controlled by computer can probably out maneuver and destroy an aircraft flown by a human pilot.

Anyway, interesting story. IMO, the field of robotics is one of the most fascinating developments of warfare since the splitting of the atom. I always look forward to seeing what designs they come up with next.

[paracowboy]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder Zulu

I imagine in the near future they will begin implementing systems in armed UAVs that allow them to send data, coordinate attacks, and relay targets to eachother in small hunter-killer groups without human intervention. Computers can be very good at planning sophisticated attacks that would take humans longer to sort out. Kinda how computers always beat humans at chess.

I'm guessing that events like this with multiple drones conducting an attack will become more common as battlefield networking and AI advances.

I heard a while back that the US and other countries were planning drones that were designed for air-to-air combat, with AIM-9s and such. I think the idea was that once they have a target, they can be released on autopilot, and sent to kill the enemy aircraft. Because like it or not, computers have better reflexes than humans, and an advanced drone controlled by computer can probably out maneuver and destroy an aircraft flown by a human pilot.

Anyway, interesting story. IMO, the field of robotics is one of the most fascinating developments of warfare since the splitting of the atom. I always look forward to seeing what designs they come up with next.

If you have the cash you can build a UAV right now that will fly a preselected GPS waypoint path. One of the big guys over at wired magazine (editor I think) built one that was absolutely amazing and would even fly back "home" if the radio connection was broken.

Within the next decades I expect all our air power will be flown from the continental United States.

Air Force’s Zombie Bomber, Back from the Grave | Danger Room | Wired.com

[Pariel]

Originally Posted by paracowboy

If you have the cash you can build a UAV right now that will fly a preselected GPS waypoint path. One of the big guys over at wired magazine (editor I think) built one that was absolutely amazing and would even fly back "home" if the radio connection was broken.

Within the next decades I expect all our air power will be flown from the continental United States.

Air Force’s Zombie Bomber, Back from the Grave | Danger Room | Wired.com

I see what you're getting at, but remember, flying all the way from the US means a lot of airborne tankers, changes in airplane design to accommodate greater fuel economy, and general inefficiency of resources leading to greater costs and fewer planes and weapons. The ability to take people out of planes won't remove forward operating bases or the humans on them, just as the ICBM didn't prevent massive military build up in Europe during the Cold War.

[[R-DEV]Eddie Baker]

Originally Posted by paracowboy

I wonder how many pylons the predators have.

Two. The Reapers have 4.