\ndrones that carry weapons and are fully autonomous, like the X-47B
\nunmanned aircraft that the Navy launched from the USS George H.W.
\nBushon Tuesday<\/span>. This unmanned aircraft can reach an
\naltitude of more than 40,000 feet and has a range of more than
\n2,100 nautical miles, the Associated Press reports.<\/p>\n
![\"This](\"http:\/\/rt.com\/files\/news\/1f\/12\/70\/00\/bush-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
This model is particularly valuable because it has the capability
\nto take off and land on an aircraft carrier. Developing such drones
\nwould allow the US to launch strikes from anywhere in the world,
\nregardless of whether or not a foreign country allows the US on its
\ngrounds.<\/p>\n
The drone is fully autonomous in flight, and relies on computer
\nprograms to direct it \u2014 unless an operator programs it to operate
\notherwise. Most drones currently employed by the military fully
\nrely on operators to control it from a remote location.<\/p>\n
While the X-47B is only intended for testing purposes rather than
\noperational use, the Navy will use it for research purposes to
\ndevelop advanced unmanned aircraft for use in future conflicts.
\nWhen it comes to using lethal force, the X-47B still requires human
\napproval. But Human Rights Watch believes the prototype research
\nwill lead to the development of drones that conduct deadly attacks
\nwith no human intervention.<\/p>\n
![\"This](\"http:\/\/rt.com\/files\/news\/1f\/12\/70\/00\/bush-1.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human Rights
\nWatch, expressed some of his fears with AP.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor us, the question is where do you draw lines?\u201d<\/i> he said.
\n\u201cWe\u2019re saying you need to draw the line when you have a fully
\nautonomous system that is weaponized. We\u2019re saying you must have
\nmeaningful human control over key battlefield decisions of who
\nlives and who dies. That should not be left up to the weapons
\nsystem itself.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
But despite fears over the future of fully autonomous drones that
\ncan launch deadly attacks from aircraft carriers, the Navy is
\nhailing the flight of its prototype as a success it has long
\nsought.<\/p>\n
\u201cUS Navy history is made!\u201d<\/i> the Navy wrote from its official
\nTwitter account. \u201cWas airborne at 11:18A. More to come.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
The Navy plans to release videos and photographs of the event,
\nwhich Read Adm. Mat Winter wrote marks \u201can inflection point in
\nhistory on how we will integrate manned and unmanned aircraft on
\ncarrier flight decks in the future.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n