SayethWhaaaa 245 Posted October 9, 2011 Here's a solid reason for not replacing manned aircraft with drones... Virus strikes US drone fleet 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Heberth 159 Posted October 9, 2011 Here's a solid reason for not replacing manned aircraft with drones... fully agreed! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+streakeagle 871 Posted October 9, 2011 I would rather an unmanned drone suffer the consequences of a virus than a manned F-35. Modern planes are highly computerized and it would be very painful to lose pilots to virus attacks. Think the recent Battlestar Galactica on Sci-fi where the pilots flying newer Vipers were immobilized and killed by viruses. The real solution is not to avoid computerized systems, but to handled them in a secure fashion. There is no reason a virus should ever come into contact with a military system. Military networks should be using secure VPNs and no one should be moving files by USB between non-military networks and military networks. How much you want to bet that the virus that got the Iranian centrifuges got transmitted by a USB key. Back to the drone issue... the current drones are unmanned, but no autonomous. That means that the difference between a drone and a manned fighter is the radio link between the pilot and the control system. I just don't see where manned/unmanned makes a difference in this case, other than a man would be at risk if it was a manned aircraft. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gr.Viper 131 Posted October 9, 2011 logging the keystrokes of pilots remotely flying missions Awesome, we'll know the APM of an average drone jokey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fubar512 1,350 Posted October 9, 2011 It's Skynet!!!!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SayethWhaaaa 245 Posted October 9, 2011 "We've logged his password!" "What is it?" "It's 1,2,3,4,5." "1,2,3,4,5? That's the password an idiot would have on his luggage!" Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dsawan 624 Posted October 9, 2011 This goes back to the star trek 60's episode with the M5 computer. She was supposed to direct a starship in all phases of duty until it attacked a enterprise class ship and killed over 400 crew. obviously, the lesson is you need humans to control and take initiative than a mchine can. USAF are you listening? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ultimate_Computer Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MigBuster 2,884 Posted October 9, 2011 (edited) Even without a virus we cant always predict what software does due to some unknown flaw - a few have just decided to fly off by themselves into a mountain ive seen reported. Problem is the budget could never be large enough to allow the amount of testing required to make them reliable enough - the bugs just have to get ironed out over the years like with any software. Re the BSG analogy - you would have to be pretty stupid to allow the internal FLCS to be compromised through a data link interface or allow any remote control - it should be completely isolated in a manned jet so the only way a virus could get on there is if the pilot gets tricked into loading it on a DTC - and even then it really shouldn't be compromised. Anyway the real problem with drones IMO is actually getting a strong enough signal to the drone! Edited October 9, 2011 by MigBuster Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Gepard 11,324 Posted October 9, 2011 The last combatplanes that was able to fly without computer support was the MiG-29. All other planes depends on computers, and so they are vulnerable to viruses. Shi* happens. And it was only a question of time that a virus attacks a military vehicle. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+daddyairplanes 10,255 Posted October 10, 2011 viruses hit manned planes as well. but the fix for that is Nyquil not Norton Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+allenjb42 4,236 Posted October 10, 2011 I believe they're working on a patch to fix the problem. Should be ready in 'two weeks!' Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted October 10, 2011 Even if the computer doesn't control flight ability, so you don't have to worry about crashing, what about the other systems? What could be worse than a mission into hostile airspace and your radar, RWR, and ECM switch off and won't come back? My feeling is that while a manned plane will likely have fewer problems than a UAV/UCAV, when a fatal problem occurs in a manned plane it's 10x worse than losing an unmanned one. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MigBuster 2,884 Posted October 10, 2011 Even if the computer doesn't control flight ability, so you don't have to worry about crashing, what about the other systems? What could be worse than a mission into hostile airspace and your radar, RWR, and ECM switch off and won't come back? My feeling is that while a manned plane will likely have fewer problems than a UAV/UCAV, when a fatal problem occurs in a manned plane it's 10x worse than losing an unmanned one. Systems seemed to have always failed quite a lot in Vietnam and other conflicts in the past without viruses - and it would be more painful without steam gauges to back you up. The tech maybe more reliable but it still fails anyway! And if those other systems fail due to a virus you can still stand a chance of flying out of there - which is better than no chance at all - you can fly past all the virus infected UAV s as they fall to the ground Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted October 12, 2011 Ah, a carbon-fiber and aluminum alloy rain, quite nice on bare skin! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Typhoid 231 Posted October 12, 2011 (edited) informal info indicates that the virus was introduced through the unauthorized use of flash drives. IDIOTS!!!!!!!!! We have already locked out flash drives from military systems - how did they get past that? That also might indicate this virus has been there for a couple of years already! There is also a story out that the unit didn't tell anyone for weeks while they tried to clean it off themselves - thereby undermining all of the IA plans, controls, security, etc. IDIOTS X 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why is it that we always have to relearn the same old lessons over and over and over and over..................... Edited October 12, 2011 by Typhoid Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JediMaster 451 Posted October 12, 2011 Because the oldest of all traditions is to CYA, and getting people to abandon that in favor of protocols is nigh-on impossible at best. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
