US Pursues AI-Controlled UAV Program

The current US Air Force budget estimates list a projected cost of $5.8 billion over five years to build the planes.

The XQ-58A Valkyrie, a potential candidate for the US Air Force's fighter program, is capable of operating in situations that a human pilot cannot handle. According to The New York Times , the aircraft is also ideal for suicide combat missions.

A US Air Force F-22 Raptor and F-35A Lightning II test flight with the XQ-58A Valkyrie in 2020

The Valkyrie can travel at a speed of 885 km/h. Its average altitude is 13,700 m with a range of 3,000 nautical miles. Not stopping there, the US is still continuing other research and development efforts for this aircraft line.

Some sources say that Valkyrie will be tested in simulation later this year, possibly with its own strategy set up to pursue and destroy targets in the Gulf of Mexico.

The New York Times, citing congressional sources, said the cost of the Air Force fighter jets would range from $3 million to $25 million depending on the condition. However, even the maximum cost for the program is still much lower than the cost of pilot-operated aircraft.

Representatives from the US Air Force and the US Department of Defense did not respond to requests for comment. Kratos Defense, the company that makes the Valkyrie, also did not speak about the fighter due to the secretive nature of the program.

While the US effort to develop fighter jets has garnered widespread military support, human rights advocates fear that unmanned war machines will pave the way to a dark future.

Business Insider quoted UN Secretary-General António Guterres' statement from 2019 that "machines with the power and autonomy to take lives without human participation are politically unacceptable, morally repugnant and should be banned by international law."

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