From: Michael M. Butler (butler@comp-lib.org)
Date: Fri Feb 23 2001 - 17:50:21 MST
Spike Jones wrote:
> Spike Jones wrote:
> > Found this in Aerospace Daily. Is this the first time in history
> > a machine has been armed? spike
Torpedoes are many decades old, Spike.
I believe that at least one bomb squad has had a shotgun option on
remoted tanks since the 1950s or '60s, too. Might have been a shotgun
blank cartridge. Purpose was to choose to detonate a suspect package in
place but around the corner from where people might be.
Care to narrow down your question any?
PS:
I'm not sure the Predator UAV counts as a robot. As far as I know, it's
under positive control of an AVO at all times in flight. Picky picky
picky. http://www2.acc.af.mil/library/factsheets/predator.html ...but
perhaps they lie.
The Boeing Condor, now, _there_ was an autonomous vehicle (not counting
all the ILS/TACAN/whatever gear that made its "autonomy" practical).
Ever been to the Hiller Aviation Museum? http://www.hiller.org/ has a
shot of the Condor. It's the big black & white bomberlike thing hanging
over the Boeing SST cockpit mockup.
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