Where Robots Get Their Wings This July, LT. Jeremy Debons made
aviation history by doing nothing at all. DeBons, call sign
Silas, flew a one-of-a-kind F/A-18D through the vast Atlantic
test range off the coast of Virginia. His destination: the
aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower. The F/A-18D and the carrier
were loaded with a slew of sensors that enabled the warplane to
land on the carrier's deck without any piloting from the cockpit
or remote operation by the ship's crew. The F/A-18D was a
surrogate for the X-47B demonstration aircraft. The goal of the
summer tests was to prove that the brains of a robot can guide a
warplane to a carrier's pitching deck. If this demonstration
program succeeds, the Navy can proceed with the UCLASS
procurement. After the X-47B becomes carrier-ready, it will then
autonomously rendezvous with aerial refueling tankers. Future
unmanned aircraft will not be flown by crews via joystick, as
Air Force personnel currently operate MQ-1B Predators. Once
launched, a UAV following a prearrange