Military/ Benefits of greater
autonomy far outweigh the risks
For the Pentagon, drones are cheaper to buy and to operate than regular
fighter jets. An armed MQ-9
Reaper drone runs about $14
million, compared to $180 million or more for
an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. But unlike barrel-rolling a jet, the business of
actually operating a unmanned aerial vehicle,UAV, for
the military is lonely, thankless, and incredibly
difficult. It’s no wonder the
Pentagon doesn’t
have enough drone pilots to meet its needs, a problem certain to persist as the
military increases its reliance on unmanned systems, especially in areas where
it has no interest in putting boots on the ground, like Pakistan or Iraq. The
solution that the military is exploring: increasing the level of autonomy in
UAVs to allow one pilot to manage several drones at once.
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