A fully armed MQ-9 Reaper taxis down an Afghanistan runway Nov. 4. The Reaper has flown 49 combat sorties since it first began operating in Afghanistan Sept. 25. It completed its first combat strike Oct. 27, when it fired a Hellfire missile over Deh Rawod, Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)From UPI:
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- From their cockpit at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada, the pilot and co-pilot are flying a pilotless Predator on a bombing mission over Afghanistan, 8,000 miles away. Ordnance aboard includes four Hellfire missiles and two 500-pound bombs. A forward air controller using another unmanned drone spots the target, and the Predator bomber takes off under local control from Kandahar in Afghanistan. Minutes later, control of the bomber is handed over to satellite control in the cockpit at Creech. Two hours later, the crew sees on the cockpit screen two suburban vehicles stop in front of the targeted mud-baked house. Half a dozen bearded men hurry into the dwelling, which intelligence has spotted as a Taliban command post. The ultra-sensitive cameras in the aircraft's nose show a door latch and a chicken outside. Seconds later, the bombardier in Nevada squeezes the trigger and a 500-pound bomb flattens the Taliban dwelling with a direct hit. Watching the action on identical screens are CIA operators at Langley, who can call in last-minute course corrections.
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My Comment: What is astounding about these weapon platforms is their effectiveness in combat. These systems are always operating 24/7, they never tire, and their effectiveness in spotting and taking out the enemy has completely revolutionized how conflicts will be fought.
The use of sophisticated communications, advanced computers, and robotic weapons will revolutionize 21rst century warfare. We are at the beginning stage .... and what is on the blueprints for future development is even more revolutionary.