Current drones have sophisticated flying capabilities already. The X-47B was the first done to fly to and land on a carrier. It did so five years ago. Unlike th

Current drones have sophisticated flying capabilities already. The X-47B was the first done to fly to and land on a carrier. It did so five years ago. Unlike the other drones in use by the military, the X-47B is not piloted, but is described as semi-autonomous and is even capable of autonomous in flight refueling. It is much larger than other military drones and more comparable to a manned fighter. Only the most skilled pilots can land on an aircraft carrier (the time I was flown out to a carrier it took the pilot several passes to catch the arresting wires) so the fact that a drone can do so with only minimal human direction indicates the very impressive computer managed flight control that has already been achieved by drones. The X-47B is a major accomplishment in done aeronautics, from [1]: > In March 2014, the X-47B won the 57th Annual Laureate Award for “extraordinary achievements” in aeronautics and propulsion hosted by Aviation Week. On 9 April 2014, the National Aeronautic Association selected Northrop Grumman, the United States Navy, and the X-47B's development team as the joint recipients of the 2013 Collier Trophy for excellence in aeronautic technology. From [2], “The X-47B is the world's first autonomous warplane. From takeoff through landing, it flies with little or no direct control from human handlers.” [1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_X-47B https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northrop_Grumman_X-47B [2] https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-07/i-am-warplane?page=4 https://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-07/i-am-warpl...