Research

General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper

 This is a MQ 9 Reaper it is a advance unmaned ariel vehicle used today in the military for reco missions and assasinations the us navy, airforce, army and italian army use this plane.The MQ-9 is the first hunter-killer UAV designed for long-endurance, high-altitude surveillance.The Reaper uses a 950 shaft-horsepower turboprop engine, far more powerful than the Predator's 115 hp piston engine. Beacause of the differnce of power output the reaper can carry 15 time more ordnance and cruise at 3 times the speed than the predator. The MQ 9 can fly preprogramed but the MQ 9 always has a pilot looking at the status of the plane just incase of a attack then the pilot can take over and choose to take them out of flee the scene.Weapons deployment is always controled by a pilot. 

General Atomics is a nuclear physics and defense contractor headquartered in San Diego, California and the makers of the MQ 9.
The aim of this project is to make a uav with an A.I, a plane that can fly its self and make decisions on its own if they can do this it would make protecting the country easy because pilots need sleep to stay focused they cannot stay on the controlles 24/7 but if we had a central computer that was looking over the country and we where under attack the central computer can send a few MQ 9's to take care of the problem. There is no ethical concern because this gets rid of the pilot and thus making it safe scientists think that in a few years they can make a land drone capable of firing a weapon and thus getting rid of the army many people say that drones is taking warefare to a new era.

This is a few Quotes from People talking about drones

"The US is already recruiting drone pilots from among young men skilled at computer games. Instead of flying into danger they may never need to leave the security of a cabin full of computer screens on home soil".

"Such is the secrecy surrounding CIA operations that there are no clear rules of engagement. There is “no accountability after the fact” says Philip Alston, UN special rapporteur on extra-judicial executions".

"Mark Jenkins is an experienced RAF pilot, flying combat missions over Afghanistan.  But he works from an airbase in Nevada, 8,000 miles away. “I’ve got a 45-minute drive home. And then by the time I’m home, I’m kind of straight into family life.”

"When the controls are manned by someone in a suburb of Washington rather than by someone in the field you become so detached that there’s no cost, there’s no limitation on you.”

General Characteristics

• Crew: None
• Landing Type: runway
• Launch Type: runway
• Length: 36 ft (11 m)
• Wingspan: 66 ft (20 m)
• Height: 12.5 ft (3.6 m)
• Empty weight: 4,900 lb (2223 kg)
• Fuel Capacity: 4,000 lb (1,800 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 10,500 lb (4760 kg)
• Power Plant: Honeywell TPE331-10 turboprop engine, 900 shp (671 kW), with Digital Electronic Engine Control (DEEC)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 260 knots (482 km/h, 300 mph)
• Cruise speed: 150–170 knots (276–313 km/h, 172–195 mph)
• Range: 3,200 nmi (5,926 km, 3,682 mi)
• Endurance: 14–28 hours (14 hours fully loaded)
• Payload: 3,800 lb (1,700 kg)
  • Internal: 800 lb (360 kg)
  • External: 3,000 lb (1,400 kg)
• Service ceiling: 50,000 ft (15 km)
• Operational altitude: 25,000 ft (7.5 km)

Sensors

• AN/APY-8 Lynx II radar
• AN/DAS-1 MTS-B Multi-Spectral Targeting System

Armament

• 7 Hardpoints
  • Up to 1,500 lb (680 kg) on the two inboard weapons stations
  • Up to 750 lb (340 kg) on the two middle stations
  • Up to 150 lb (68 kg) on the outboard stations
  • Center station not used

Up to 14 AGM-114 Hellfire air to ground missiles can be carried or four Hellfire missiles and two 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs. The 500 lb (230 kg) GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) can also be carried. Testing is underway to support the operation of the AIM-92 Stinger air-to-air missile.

REFERENCES 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_Aeronautical_Systems
http://christinescottcheng.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/civilian-casualties-and-the-ethics-of-drones/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_MQ-9_Reaper
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/predator/
http://defense-update.com/products/p/predatorB.htm
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/MQ-9-Reaper-The-First-Operational-UCAV-05021/