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July 9, 2008 11:19:11 AM CDT

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New Air Force Drones Refuel Without Pilots

Posted Aug 15, 07 3:04 PM CDT in US,  Technology    Editor's Choice

(Newser) – A Defense agency has developed an on-board flight system that connects an airplane to a re-fueling aircraft without the need for a human pilot, allowing unmanned fighter jets to remain in the air longer. The technology uses exact inertial, GPS, and video measurements to latch a probe into a 32-inch basket trailed behind a tanker.

The first-ever unmanned refueling took place in August 2006, the Defense Industry Daily, reports, and the military has completed 10 additional flights since then. One successful demonstration occurred at a speed of 250 MPH, 18,000 feet above the Tehachapi Mountai.

Source Defense Industry Daily

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A US made F-18 fighter plane. With the possibilities of automated mid-air refueling, unmanned aircraft jaunts are limited only by their maintenance needs.   (Getty Images (by Event))
An unmanned MQ-1 Predator at the Paris Airshow in 2007.   (Copyright 2007 David Monniaux)
An unmanned MQ-1 Predator at the Paris Airshow in 2007.   (Wikimedia; Creative Commons)
As military conflict continues, DARPA's unmanned robotic drones make exponential advances in their capabilities.   (KRT Photos)
The "droid" pilot of the F-18 was able to execute a mid-air refueling without the help of the human co-pilot.   (Getty Images (by Event))
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Tags

airplane  • Navy  • pilot  • GPS  • refueling  • Defense Industry


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