Watching the NOVA Special " Rise of the Drones". I can very much see LM's purpose and potential in P3D. Currently the USAF is training more UAV pilots than all other pilots type combined. Main training tool?............. XBOX!

Congratulations on your 800th post!

 

Not to incite any inappropriate political debate, but it is slightly sad that the military is now focusing on methods of war by which human life can be eliminated so cleanly, effortlessly, and systematically. The reasons are undoubtedly justified, but the fact that one might not even have to (1) leave his or her home city or (2) train to become physically robust in order to be qualified for such operations involving life and death, is frightening.

But at the same time it saves 1000's of lives also. It no longer requirs a whole army to accomplish what a few drones can. That is why the program has my support!

I do not disapprove of the program and its objectives; rather, I just find the concept and technology involved to be rather chilling from the perspective of humanity and life as a whole, if that makes any sense.

I'd say that the drone concept itself is a technically interesting field but will incorporate more than one touchy question on how we deal with that progress.

 

As ever so often, technology is able to get used in at least two contradicting manners. You can put great use to automated stuff or even the still human flown (but from a safe distance) setup but you can also drift into the regime Owen describes and fears. Valid thoughts.