DARPA Plans to Launch 132-Foot Unmanned Warship in April

Check this out guys.....A drone submarine by Darpa...! Drone technology is exciting but also something that I think we need to be careful about. Autonomous machines that can be controlled to hunt you down is a little worrisome to me. Add in AI and it's a recipe for disaster with machines deciding who and when to kill.

The ACTUV (a questionable acronym formed from "Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel") is a 130-foot, 140-ton vessel that, when it departs the coast of Portland, Oregon on April 7, will be the largest autonomous surface vehicle ever deployed.

"Imagine an unmanned surface vessel following all the laws of the sea on its own and operating with manned surface and unmanned underwater vehicles," said DARPA Deputy Director Steve Walker at a press conference Wednesday.

While it is designed to eventually patrol and take on a variety of missions either too dangerous or too tedious for crewed vessels, ACTUV won't enter military service right away. Its first 18 months will consist of long-range cruises to demonstrate its capabilities and, of course, sort out any bugs in the system.

Maybe I'm looking too much into the conspiracy side of things but the idea of autonomous killing machines is a little disturbing to me. Some technologies start out innocent enough but through human desire(s), turn very corrupt and dangerous. Am I reading too much into this? What says ATS?

www.nbcnews.com...

a reply to: lostbook

Autonomous isn't truly autonomous. There are still people in the decision chain, they just don't control every minute of it like with something like a Predator UAV.

It's not a submarine, it's a surface vessel sub hunter.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: lostbook

Autonomous isn't truly autonomous. There are still people in the decision chain, they just don't control every minute of it like with something like a Predator UAV.

Well, not this time around but as this Drone technology develops; especially when AI is incorporated, this could very well be a possibility.

a reply to: lostbook

They're a long way from that happening. In this case too, people are in the decision chain. It's designed to minimize human requirements but they're still involved. It's a moot point anyway, because it's unarmed.

A little early to worry about AI controlled stuff. Considering AI just beat the best human go player, I think we have a few more years before the Pentagon brass let SkyNet or the W.O.P.P.E.R take control of defensive capabilities.

This just gives more incentives for governments to develop and use tactical battlefield nuclear weapons openly since the robots are being controlled from afar with a PlayStation controller.

a reply to: the owlbear

Autonomous UAVs aren't, and the autonomy is improving. They're also not being used for anything combat related in congested airspace. So everything is manned I a real fight.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: the owlbear

Autonomous UAVs aren't, and the autonomy is improving. They're also not being used for anything combat related in congested airspace. So everything is manned I a real fight.

I understand the need for minimizing human casualty on the battlefield and Drone technology will eventually allow for this to happen. Yeah, what I'm talking about is a long way down the road with AI incorporated into drones but the fact that it's a possibility is a little concerning. Don't you agree?

a reply to: lostbook

That is so far away it's not funny. The first group that would have that capability would be the Air Force, and they're talking about twenty plus years to have an autonomous, AI equipped combat capable uav minimum. They're looking at 6 years to even start testing a UAV that can recognize bad weather in front of it without human intervention.

a reply to: the owlbear

Good point.

What would happen to the ship if you take out the 'player'?

Dead in the water? All that tech, just ripe for the taking?

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: the owlbear

Autonomous UAVs aren't, and the autonomy is improving. They're also not being used for anything combat related in congested airspace. So everything is manned I a real fight.

Understood. Never said they were As my post pointed out.
Nothing is AI piloted.
AI is still playing board games.

Depends on the definition of a "real fight". Joystick jockeys killing wedding parties doesn't count as manned and happened almost a decade ago. I don't think we know how many unmanned kills the armed forces have with remote controlled weapons in non "real fights" but I could venture a guess that the number is in the hundreds or very low thousands.

Edit...I guess we've had joystick jockeys for quite a while now with cruise missiles being so old. So I guess that number would be in the high thousands for unmanned kills in the last two decades alone.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The first group that would have that capability would be the Air Force, and they're talking about twenty plus years to have an autonomous, AI equipped combat capable uav minimum.

Umm...perfectly rational thought but...

The Navy has had in-service AI for years...as does the NRO as of about 2 years ago.

Don't forget which branch of the military controls space - Navy.

If it's an air-breather or atmo skimmer then it's Air Force....as soon as you get up into the great beyond it's all Navy as the lead as far as the armed forces go.

Very, very smart folks too.

Any pics of this thing?

a reply to: SonofaSkunk

Here's 2 I could find...

a reply to: Zaphod58

In this day and age I am a little shocked that somebody who posts freely on an internet board would have any real knowledge of how far advanced a major militaries technology is.

You know your snip, there is no doubt, but why would you be allowed to know the half of it and if you did why would you post it in public?

a reply to: Riffrafter

And how many ships and UAVs are autonomous and controlled by it?

a reply to: MALBOSIA

Because a lot of it gets posted after a white source is found. And what Grey I post is generally vague. I know where the line is and steer clear of crossing it.

The USS Paul F. Foster (DD-964) is a larger drone ship the US Navy has as a weapons test drone.

Its used to test ships defense weapons systems as a live fire target that shoots back at weapons fired at it to test shipboard defense weapons systems.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Riffrafter

And how many ships and UAVs are autonomous and controlled by it?

Given the specificity of your question my answer is: One and more than one (but only in specific circumstances).

It also depends on how one defines AI.

Just saw this vid. of the speed testing,



Its an interesting concept they've got going on, a D/E sub has one glaring limitation and that is how long they can stay under.