US robot bomber hits its target

A ROBOTIC plane has dropped a bomb near a truck at Edwards Air Force Base in California marking another step forward for technology the US military hopes will one day replace human pilots on dangerous combat missions.

Under human supervision but without human piloting, a prototype of Boeing’s X-45 took off from the desert base, opened its bomb bay doors, dropped a 250-pound Small Smart Bomb and then landed.

The bomb struck within inches of the truck it was supposed to hit, Boeing said, adding that had the bomb contained explosives, the target would have been destroyed. “It’s a huge step forward for us. It shows the capability of an unmanned airplane to carry weapons,” said Rob Horton, Boeing’s chief operator for the mission.

The X-45A was pre-programmed with the target co-ordinates and used the Global Positioning System to adjust its course. Mr Horton, who was sitting 80 miles from the target, authorised the drone to drop the bomb, which was released from 35,000 feet as the plane flew at 442 mph.

The military sees drones taking part in its most dangerous missions, such as bombing enemy radar and surface-to-air missile batteries, in order to clear a path for human pilots.

The Y-shaped, tailless plane has a 34-foot wingspan and weighs 3,800kg empty.

Boeing hopes to build hundreds of the planes, which would cost €8m-€12m each.