Unmanned aerial vehicles | UAVs

[tipoywizard]

Yes I do believe that drones are the most important weapons in air warfare in the future. Right now drone are used as an effecient and cheap aide for policing and surveillance and maybe in the future it can be used to carry bombs, biological warfare, lazers and small nuclear missiles (just my imagination).

 

[Coltodor]

It look that way. Everything is getting automated now and the reduction of people in harm way is pretty appealing to people. As time go on drones are going to get more advanced as well as more common.

 

[stevesxs9]

I think drones will figure heavily in the future of warfare and surveillance, but will never replace the human element and input because humans are responsible for the creation of drones. I would guess that many years from now there could even be robotic soldiers fighting in air and on the ground.

 

[Rainshield7]

Drones have always been slated as the next air warfare devices. Look at what they can do from above. They can be outfitted with machine guns and hellfire missiles. I just found it funny that drug dealers are using them to ship drugs over seas.

 

[vash]

In near future (within at least a decade or two), manned weapon systems will still dominate the battlefield on this planet.

I believe eventually drones will replace manned aircraft, as well as tanks, ships too.
However, I do not believe in fully automatic drones. I simply don't trust them to make decisions lol. Full automation will eventually lead to having human interference cut out from the equation completely, and I do not like the direction it's going after that. Think about Skynet and Terminator.

I am all for remotely controlled drones with minimal automation. I understand there will be delay (like ping during gaming) when control a drone from thousands miles away, but I believe the problem will eventually be solved with technologies become more advanced.

 

[Laplace]

If we're talking about simple tasks that does not require decision making, then drones are superior in every way. Plus, they can be controlled by pilots in the base so they can make better decisions. The problem is that if they are targeted specifically by a foreign invader. I've thought up many possibilities to bring them down. Electromagnetic interference, Hacking their software, shooting them down to study their technology and a lot more. Some of them functions like objects in the sky waiting on standby, so you can't really make them think for themselves if they are attacked.

 

[Rowe992]

I think drones will be use more for surveillance and for bombings of targets with no air defense systems. I don't think we will see drones replacing aircraft in air to air combat or in wars that involve armies with air defense systems.. Drones could be more effective in policing and information gathering.

 

[TommyVercetti]

Most likely. It's the most feasible way to minimize casualties at our end, so look to drones to do most of the combat in the near future. On of the main goals of the project has always been to kill more of the enemy than they can with us. The numbers game will totally be in favor, plus the added 'hopelessness' factor that the enemy faces when they shoot down a drone and can't find anyone even piloting the craft while they are risking their own lives in the war.

 

[vash]

If we're talking about simple tasks that does not require decision making, then drones are superior in every way. Plus, they can be controlled by pilots in the base so they can make better decisions. The problem is that if they are targeted specifically by a foreign invader. I've thought up many possibilities to bring them down. Electromagnetic interference, Hacking their software, shooting them down to study their technology and a lot more. Some of them functions like objects in the sky waiting on standby, so you can't really make them think for themselves if they are attacked.

If by "simple tasks", you mean simply program a drone to go from point A to point B, and drop a bomb while at point B, then return to point A, then I am sure there is no need for remote control or any human interference. But such fixed pattern can easily be interrupted by ever changing battlefield situations which makes such simple programmed drones extremely vulnerable.
Human intervention is definitely needed for more complex situations. Since I do not like total automation, remote control is the way to go.

Sure, hacking a drone in action might be possible, but the drones are still at early stages thus they are not properly equipped to deal with hacking. Besides, if hacking a drone is possible, then hacking a traditional jet with pilots in it is also possible. Using a drone isn't making it more vulnerable to hacking than a jet as modern jets are all computerized.

 

[Rainshield7]

In near future (within at least a decade or two), manned weapon systems will still dominate the battlefield on this planet.

I believe eventually drones will replace manned aircraft, as well as tanks, ships too.
However, I do not believe in fully automatic drones. I simply don't trust them to make decisions lol. Full automation will eventually lead to having human interference cut out from the equation completely, and I do not like the direction it's going after that. Think about Skynet and Terminator.

I am all for remotely controlled drones with minimal automation. I understand there will be delay (like ping during gaming) when control a drone from thousands miles away, but I believe the problem will eventually be solved with technologies become more advanced.

When that happens it would be almost like in the Transformers Age of Extinction movie. It would be to where we could have some flying drones that can transform into an advanced weapon. I think drones would improve to that point where they would be able to change form constantly without recognition.

 

[Pinoy Jade]

I guess drones are not the limit. I have heard that a weapon can be made on space and would just hit the target on the planet. For example, they would create a weapon floating on space and would just trigger a button on earth to hit the target. That would be i guess a dangerous weapon

 

[pwarbi]

I do think drones and unmanned military equipment is going to play a big part of any future conflict. I don't however think its ever going to replace troops on the ground going into combat but it can certainly help to pave the way before a ground assault can begin.

 

[KimberlyD]

Drones offer the ability to kill much more effectively with out conscience thought or remorse. Out of sight out of mind so to speak. They can see the target but not really "see" the target. So they can kill indiscriminately. Unfortunately that is a very tempting aspect that will allow for military's to flock to their use. So most likely they will be the future of warfare.

 

[thomas pendrake]

So far the use of drones by the U.S. has not so much been to reduce the loss of pilots and crews, but, rather, to allow a different type of targeting. Drones can sneak in and strike a very specific target, usually an individual person. A drone can be airborne over a specific target for hours, undetected and watching for the right moment to strike. It is also a weapon of terror.

 

[TinVanMan]

I don't think drones could totally replace boots on the ground. There are places that combatants can hide without being discovered or accessed by drones. If we were to get farther into unmanned technology, like robotic soldiers, then I think we could potentially see a huge reduction of real soldiers. Of course, this works much better as offense than defense. At some point, a drone attack against America creates the necessity of those being attacked to become soldiers to defend themselves. I think that this is all quite a long ways of, if at all, though.