Say hello to a new robotic drone - a stealth bomber drone that can fly for thousands and thousands of miles and stay in the air for days. It could take off from California, bomb someone in Pakistan, and return home in the evening, all directed by some guy at a monitor sitting in a comfy chair in Nevada, who also goes home at the end of the day.
I follow advancements in robotics pretty closely, and what is happening in the fields of battle is remarkable. Frightening, I suppose, but so inevitable, why bother being afraid? What's coming is coming and the only thing that would stop it is the complete upheaval of our world. Which is unlikely.
Consider! In the invasion of Iraq in 2003, not a single robotic element was used. No drones, no bots, nothing. Just a few years later, thousands of drones were in action. Today, tens of thousands of drones missions have been undertaken. The drones are coming off the assembly lines as fast as they can be made.
This will change the face of war soon enough - we've already seen the first development: Given the complete technological superiority of American in regards the military, it makes absolutely no sense to engage America in conventional warfare; rather, the only way to fight America is via asymmetrical war - terrorism, in other words.
Not a new phenomena, but the terrorists are evolving too. And robotic weapons will not stay solely on the American side for long.
The future always happens this way, I think: The Brave New World is already here, all around us. It just takes something to make you aware of it.
When the Terminators first appear (and they're very close), I will note it well.
4 comments:
sometimes it's like you have been in my head...it's freaky. a little cool, but creepy. :)
Well, if you accept that you and I are made of the atoms that came from the same stellar explosion some 5 billion years ago, then yes, I'm in your head, your in mine, we're all everybody!
The future is now. I read a recent piece about the drone warfare in Pakistan, and was amazed to see that some are operated by guys at Langley who wear ties to work and go home to dinner with their families in Virginia. Brave new world.
I read something very similar. Great story material - guy works during the day, blowing up Pakistanis; goes home at night to wife and family. Has Nan. Yeah yeah.
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