Dynetics joins DARPA’s unmanned dogfighting effort

[Peter1469]

Dynetics joins DARPA’s unmanned dogfighting effort

The concept: One pilot controls a fleet of unmanned platforms to dogfight with the enemy.

Dynetics said it has been awarded a phase 1 contract as part of DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program, an effort to develop artificial intelligence for aerial combat. Among other features, ACE seeks to automate some combat functions, freeing up the human pilot for other tasks in a dogfight.
“The overarching goal of ACE is to use aerial dogfighting as sort of the crucible scenario because of its challenges and its ability to increase the complexity in order to get implementations of artificial intelligence that will help increase and help us understand how to increase trust and combat autonomy with with pilots,” explained Tim Keeter, ACE program manager for Dynetics.


"DARPA has disaggregated the program itself into four technical areas of importance, and each technical area has its own performer,” he said.


The first technical area will develop the actual dogfighting algorithms. The second will determine how to build and measure trust between pilots, the algorithms and unmanned platforms and the fourth will integrate the manned and unmanned systems together.
Dynetics has been selected for the third technical area, where it will work to scale the advances made by the other team. Technical area three is valued at $12.3 million.

[Lummy]

Aerial wars by a lot of pilotless billion dollar aircraft? Can you even imagine it, let alone believe it would ever happen?

DARPA should be scaled way, way back, IMHO.

[Peter1469]

Aerial wars by a lot of pilotless billion dollar aircraft? Can you even imagine it, let alone believe it would ever happen?

DARPA should be scaled way, way back, IMHO.

I doubt the drone will be billions of dollars each, but yes I can imagine the concept.

DARPA does not need less money. The stuff they develop ends up with civilian application.

[Lummy]

I doubt the drone will be billions of dollars each, but yes I can imagine the concept.

DARPA does not need less money. The stuff they develop ends up with civilian application.

There is no scenario of war that would ever see squadrons of robo-jets deployed. What we already have will never be used. Meanwhile, however, you are right: American citizens have every reason to be concerned about this technology and how and why it is deployed. IMHO.

[Peter1469]

There is no scenario of war that would ever see squadrons of robo-jets deployed. What we already have will never be used. Meanwhile, however, you are right: American citizens have every reason to be concerned about this technology and how and why it is deployed. IMHO.

There is more of a chance of them being needed if we got rid of them and didn't stay current, than if we have them and build new stuff.

[Lummy]

There is more of a chance of them being needed if we got rid of them and didn't stay current, than if we have them and build new stuff.

I agree. So be it. Cut DARPA.

[Peter1469]

I agree. So be it. Cut DARPA.

Who will research future tech?

[Lummy]

IMHO, Americans are not lab rats, and peeps whom I personally think come closest to qualifying as such are not only a protected species but elevated to near deity status. DARPA, on the other hand, makes no such judgements regarding "right thing to do", I suppose.

[Lummy]

Show us the cost-benefit analysis -- or whatever they use to justify their work. That's the more relevant, convincing approach. That's the best idea.

[Peter1469]

IMHO, Americans are not lab rats, and peeps whom I personally think come closest to qualifying as such are not only a protected species but elevated to near deity status. DARPA, on the other hand, makes no such judgements regarding "right thing to do", I suppose.

Most of their research is into physical tech. They are doing some "cyborg type" research with special operators. They are all volunteers.