Northrop Grumman’s X-47B drone may represent “a major qualitative change in the conduct of hostilities” according to the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which reports to the Geneva Conventions. The X-47B is entering tests to see it land on the deck of an aircraft carrier, autonomously — without in-cockpit or remote-pilot input. That sort of capability is only a precursor to what’s coming. According to an Air Force report, the improvements in drone technology will eventually give drones the capacity to make life-or-death decisions while engaged in battle. And “increasingly humans will no longer be ‘in the loop’ but rather ‘on the loop.’” And that, according to ICRC president Jacob Kellenberger, may challenge international law.

X-47 Drone Testing Sparks Ethical Warfare Debate is a post from: Small Jet Charter

Related posts:

1. Drone Computers Hit By Virus Wired is reporting that the computer systems used to control…
2. Drone Tests To Expand Military drones will soon be mixing it up with regular…
3. Sheriff’s Built-To-Be-Armed UAV The Sheriff’s Office of Montgomery County, Texas, has a drone…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The Senate Thursday followed the House and approved a stop-gap funding measure that will carry the FAA through February 17 at current funding levels. The temporary measure provides funds through airport taxes and precedes another vote on long-term funding which is expected to take place in February. The temporary measure is the 23rd of its kind and it replaces another that was set to expire on January 31. The last long-term FAA reauthorization bill expired in 2007. For two weeks in 2011, Congress failed to provide either temporary or long term authorization for the FAA leading the agency to temporarily furlough thousands of workers and possibly tens of thousands of contractors. Current reports suggest lawmakers are optimistic they can reach an agreement prior to the new February 17 deadline.

Congress Funds FAA (For A Few More Weeks) is a post from: Small Jet Charter

Related posts:

1. Congress Apparently Chooses To Not Fund FAA That’s it. Congress did not argue right up until a…
2. Congress Temporarily Funds FAA (Again) Congress passed another temporary funding measure for the FAA, Thursday,…
3. Irony is Congress lecturing on financial stewardship Ironic: A member of Congress lecturing the FAA Administrator on…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

The possibility of an increase in the maximum weight for LSAs is being bandied about at the FAA. How much should an LSA weigh?Plus: Last week, we asked AVweb readers about crosswind landings: Do you crab or slip? Click through to see the breakdown of answers.

Question of the Week: Weight Gain for LSAs? is a post from: Small Jet Charter

Related posts:

1. Question of the Week: Crab or Slip? The video we featured of crosswind landings at Dusseldorf Airport…
2. Question of the Week: Will Eclipse Fulfill the VLJ Dream? Eclipse Aerospace and Sikorsky have a deal that may mean…
3. Question of the Week: What Happened to D. B. Cooper? A woman in Oklahoma says D. B. Cooper, the name…

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.