aviationweek.com
UAVs could start replacing manned fighters in mid-2020: USAF
"... “The idea of what is a fighter, the equation and kind of the math that we use to for a fighter still works pretty well in the European environment. The range and payload and distance problem is still a pretty effective solution,” he says. “It’s not as effective as solution in the Pacific because of the great distances.”
The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter has been criticised for having a limited combat range of 600nm (1110km), insufficient to avoid a surprise hit by China’s long-range ballistic and cruise missiles while parked at an air base in the western Pacific Ocean.
In part to solve that limitation, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Kratos Defense Security Solutions have been developing the XQ-58A Valkyrie, a low-cost UAV with a 1,500nm combat radius. The attritable aircraft could be flown independently or as a loyal wingman alongside manned aircraft.
The range problem is also influencing the USAF’s thinking on its next-generation fighter development programme, called Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), says Holmes.
“So as you look at NGAD, and you look at the follow-on programmes, I wouldn’t expect it to produce things that necessarily look like a traditional fighter, in that same kind of swap between range and payload and distance that we’ve done in a traditional fighter,” he says. “And, I think that’s what Dr. Roper is talking about. Both: How about the unmanned, low cost of tradable options? And, how might they do those same missions?” ...?
UAVs could start replacing manned fighters in mid-2020s: USAF
As older Lockheed Martin F-16s approach the end of their service life five to eight years from now, the US Air Force (USAF) may consider replacing the manned fighters with attritable unmanned air vehicles (UAV).www.flightglobal.com
www.flightglobal.com
This would seem relevant to this thread.
‘The fighter jet era has passed’: Elon Musk
Speaking in front of a crowd of fighter pilots for the US Air Force, technology entrepreneur Elon Musk pronounced the end to the manned fighter jet era.
I like his battery farm as well that saved australia from going back to the stone age. Oh and paypal.This would seem relevant to this thread.
‘The fighter jet era has passed’: Elon Musk
Speaking in front of a crowd of fighter pilots for the US Air Force, technology entrepreneur Elon Musk pronounced the end to the manned fighter jet era.
It's Elon Musk. He's definitely smart but smart doesn't equate to omniscient. In this case, well, he makes good cars and I like his rockets.
I think his main beef is with seed AI, and not specialized AI. To be fair, seed AI is something that has the potential to go VERY pear shaped if you're not careful. It's not that we have to fear "smart" AI per se. Even a really dumb AI will be really dumb really fast.
WTF is "seed" AI?
How is that going to happen, specifically? There ain't no swarm that can traverse 1000 miles, which means you need a carrier vehicle, which can be killed. Battlefield is a different situation. I wouldn't want to be in a tank 20 years from now. (Then again, tanks will likely have DEW CIWS by then so the concern may be over inflated.)
Self-improving Artificial Intelligence
wiki.lesswrong.com
As Arjen said, AI capable of pulling itself up by it's bootstraps.
Self-improving Artificial Intelligence
See also AI takeoff https://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/AI_takeoffSeed AI - LessWrong
A Seed AI (a term coined by Eliezer Yudkowsky) is an Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) which improves itself by recursively rewriting its own source code without human intervention. Initially this program would likely have a minimal intelligence, but over the course of many iterations it...
He thinks AI is inevitable and the only hope is to advance technology that would merge human consciousness with that of AI, the whole if you can't beat them join them. In fact, he has a company that researches on this technology
Impossible. There will always be somebody who'd build an AI without them.
I suggest you look up the discussion that includes Elon, Sam Harris, and couple of leading experts and engineers on how AI.
Doubt there was any reference to the F-15 itself hitting Mach 3; what was the source for that?
www.flightglobal.com
US Air Force cancels GE Aviation sole-source for F-15EX engine, asks for competitive bids
The US Air Force is asking for engine proposals for its Boeing F-15EX programme, just a few months after it said it would grant a sole source award to GE Aviation for 480 of the company's F110 jet turbines
100% They should bill whoever approved this for the difference.
So Pratt and Whitney get the contract for the F-15EX engines at the expense of General Electric, sheer utter madness.
The potential is there, and historically F110 has been able to beat F100 on both cost and power. But Pratt seems to have yanked on someone's string to force a competition, so maybe they have a plan to beat GE. At least, it seems like a waste to force a competition you don't think you can win.
