Navy official: Drones will only get more advanced

(CBS News) The technology behind drones is developing rapidly. Today, drones used to attack targets are flown by remote control by pilots on the ground. But a new generation has no pilot at all. They can be completely guided by computer.

A new type of vehicle being developed by the Navy looks like stealth bomber and could probably carry 4,000 pounds of weapons, but there's no pilot in the cockpit. Navy Capt. Jaime Engdahl is director of what's called the X-47B Project.

"It is an autonomous vehicle so it's flying itself ... It's a very unique aircraft," Engdahl said.

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This afternoon, responding to a computer program, the X-47B launched from a land-based catapult at a Navy test facility in Maryland.

"The test went very well and it's very significant because this is the first time we're actually doing catapult shots with a vehicle with nobody in the cockpit," Engdahl said.

The X-47B has already performed taxi tests aboard the USS Truman and will soon attempt the first unmanned take off and landing from an aircraft carrier.

"We're working the carrier schedules right now so sometime this spring or summer [the drone will take off and land on a carrier]," Engdahl said.

An X-47B being tested by the Navy. This model drone is slated to be ready for use in 2017.

/ CBS News

The Navy has not yet decided to arm the X-47B. It could be used for other missions such as surveillance and electronic jamming of enemy air defenses. But it could also be used to strike heavily defended targets without risking a pilot's life. Engdahl said a drone like that could one day carry weapons.

Putting armed drones aboard an aircraft carrier would give the U.S. Navy the capability to launch unmanned strikes virtually any place in the world.

"The biggest thing is that you don't have to worry about permission from other countries to operate a vehicle from foreign airfields," Engdahl said.

The X-47B is not scheduled to reach the fleet until 2017, but when it does, drone warfare will go to a whole new level.

David Martin's full report on the future of drones will air this Sunday, on "CBS Sunday Morning."

[usunus]

The drones would definitely get far more advanced,no doubt.But they would continue to kill scores of innocent people along with the targeted persons.

[kbbpll]

Ah, the glory of battle. The 2nd amendment guarantees the right to have one of these to protect me from tyranny, right?

[ewebb5800]

Now, is this not just great. Leave it to the USA to find a better way to kill.
Hummm.... what could we spend all this money on, other than death?
Hey... how about all the small personal drones used for survalliance... what great little targets for all the gun totin' AR-15 gang. Watch iout Seattle!

[We_The_Sheeple]

The only people who are against drones are the pilots who will be relegated to become joystick jocks, and will never get log another flight hour, once their butts become fat from flying drones from an office. The are no guts or glory from flying drones, no distinguished flying crosses either.

[verysimplesimon]

this plan of coures is ridiculous the boeing plane cannot even be counted on to fly without bigtime problems. how then should a drone be trusted ONLY controled by computer? and you can be sure it would be loaded with nukes. it could be taken over by a virus deliberately and have it's mission reassigned to target it's home country etc. if we here in america are trying to create as much pollution danger and uncertainty chaos and counter productive NONSENSE well we are well on our way what with this latest drone plan,fraking[pumping poisons into the water tables by the millions of gallons,legalizing drugs etc.wow..gene spliced GMO and cloned food fluride in all the water and microwave radar ranges touted as "convienent" most everywhere. with all these irresponsible things being done and even mandated in most cases it is a miracle anyone is still healthy let alone safe

[foo8259]

Perhaps advanced enough to have a working self-destruct when compromised, and or a tamper proof active defense system.

[aintfakin]

very simple
the drone can be programmed to shut down any more receiving signals once it is airborn and locked on to its target route.

[kcits]

We all know the so called history of foolproof computer systems that are perfectly safe right? How many known computer viruses are there?