Fun new military toy successfully tested

The next generation of unmanned fighter jet, the X-45A, has successfully completed its test flight program. A press release dated August 11, 2005 states:

"After completing more than 60 flights, the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) X-45A flight test program concluded yesterday with the successful completion of a preemptive destruction suppression of enemy air defenses graduation demonstration. During this demonstration, the two X-45A air vehicles flew the most complex mission scenario to date. The significant tasks completed included: detecting multiple simulated threats; determining which targets were off-limits and which had the highest priority; avoiding simulated “pop-up” threats; replanning attacks when the operator altered target priorities; and performing coordinated multi-ship attacks on multiple targets. After successfully demonstrating each of these capabilities, the two air vehicles safely returned to base."

Basically, this new aircraft performs complex sorties, destroys enemy targets with precision technology, and has an extremely small radar cross section (stealthy), all without threat to a pilot. This next generation of aerial assault vehicles will provide the initial wave for suppressing enemy defense systems without risk to actual pilots.