"real" weapons tech thread (was: coupla Full Thrust questions)

Adam wrote: 

>Seen Janes Defence Weekly recently? The RAF say that the Tornado could
>well be their very last Interdictor. Future proposals for it's 
replacement
>include a stand off weapon delivery system using unmanned drones 
launched
>from a Strategic Bomber/ Cargo Plane. The Drone could carry 
Conventional
>Bombs, Nuclear Ordinance, CLUSTER MUNITIONS etc.

The Pentagon is also working on ground robots that will detect/clear 
mines and scan for chemical/biological weapons. They hope to deploy 
them to Bosnia.

The USAF has been working for several years to "take pilots out of the 
loop" as one official put it. He, an Air Force General, stated that the 
current view is that piots are "obsolete" and are the only restrictions 
on aircraft performance. Given the limits that a human body can take, 
it's easy to see where this idea comes from.

There's an air show this weekend, so maybe I'll get to see some of 
these cool aircraft close-up. :)

The Pentagon has been working for many years on "fuzzy logic" computers 
that can play battlefield roles. At this pace, all those DSII crewed 
tanks will be behind the times before they get built. ;)

Christopher
"Go Steelers!"