Boeing's unmanned Phantom Ray makes dramatic video debut, set to take off this December
By Vlad Savov 
posted May 14th 2010 3:51AM
posted May 14th 2010 3:51AM
Boeing Unveils Unmanned Phantom Ray Demonstrator
ST. LOUIS, May 10, 2010 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] today unveiled the fighter-sized Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system, a test bed for advanced technologies.
"We are on a fast track, and first flight is in sight," said Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works. "Phantom Ray is on schedule to fly in December, about two years after this project began. This is a tremendous accomplishment for Boeing and the Phantom Ray team."
Phantom Ray is scheduled to begin taxi tests this summer. The first flight in December will be followed by up to nine additional flights over approximately six months. Phantom Ray is designed to support potential missions that may include intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; suppression of enemy air defenses; electronic attack; strike; and autonomous aerial refueling.
"The initial flights will take Phantom Ray through its paces for the flight test profile. Beyond that, the missions and systems tested will be determined by future warfighter needs," said Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing.
Phantom Ray, which evolved from the X-45C program, is one of several programs in the Phantom Works division of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Phantom Works uses rapid prototyping initiatives to design, develop and build advanced aircraft and then demonstrate their capabilities.
Key Phantom Ray suppliers include General Electric-Aviation (propulsion and power distribution), Honeywell (brake system), Woodward-HRT (flight control actuation system), Crane Hydro-Aire (brake controls) and Heroux-Devtek (landing gear).
For a feature story on today's Phantom Ray ceremony in St. Louis, visit http://bit.ly/99AvLS.
A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is one of the world's largest defense, space and security businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions, and the world's largest and most versatile manufacturer of military aircraft. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Defense, Space & Security is a $34 billion business with 68,000 employees worldwide.
Uh oh.
@wemustcontrolpeople Well, I guess I do trust it more than a bloodthirsty human pilot.
UFO!!
@wemustcontrolpeople Bloodthirsty human pilot? No. You do realize this IS still controlled by a human pilot though, right?
@futurerheza
hehe well considering that the current drones dont even use a encryption to protect the data feed, the russians will most likely have a working hack before it is even launched :D
@Yoshi Yeah, you're right, but some day, some day...
@wemustcontrolpeople
The most powerful supercomputer being built at googleplex..... Boeing building unmanned jet fighters...........the day is coming.
@wemustcontrolpeople Eventually it will just be robot vs human and be pointless.
Can't you make some world peace or something boeing?
@Techtrino
What Russians, dude? It's not the 60s anymore. You don't have an excuse to be naive and ignorant.
@substance90 Yeah, tell that to Georgians...
@wemustcontrolpeople
So this is what the first Cylon raider looked like.... :S
@substance90
Russia still exists have a look at a map it's that really big country the biggest in fact. And that was the Soviet Union in the 60's 'dude'.
@wemustcontrolpeople
Maybe this one is really invisible : )
http://www.indexovo.agitprop.rs/antinato/sorry.htm
@Techtrino
I think you mean Chinese...
@ntgg081 i saw a ufo and nobody believes me...
@OP
I know this is a gadget blog and not a military blog... but this plane is not a "jet fighter". A "fighter" is an air-to-air combat specialist. This airplane is built for recon and intelligence. MAJOR DIFFERENCE. Since air dominance in the most important component of modern warfare, it will be major news when a unmanned vehicle replaces the F-22 and upcoming F-35 as the dominant air superiority fighters.
@Yoshi Even worse! It's controlled by a human (may or may not be a pilot), who is never in a any danger. With some buttons that pew pew shit. Sounds like our generation of gamers with live ammo! I consider that more dangerous than a pilot!
@Volker D: You're right, I only wish it was controlled by artificial intelligence.
@Volker
No reason to head down into the bunker YET.
This plane wasn't a contract work for the military. It's not planned to be build for real combat and not even to gather intelligence. It's a research prototype that will stay in the hands of Boeing. The real danger will come with what they build based on this.
@Techtrino idea from the ironman 2?
@Volker Actually, it may be better. A real human pilot in real danger might fire on targets he otherwise wouldn't in order to keep himself safe. Remote control allows the pilots to stay safe no matter what and have other people "in the cockpit" with him to help him make better decisions. This might actually reduce friendly fire.
@Charlie W Good points. That said, it's clearly larger than any recon need be... As a prototype, it's here to show the potential of those very things, albeit with baby-steps. Indeed while it's not built to be here-and-now a fighter-jet, it could easily become a short-range tactical bomber in its second iteration. If you can recon it, you can bomb it.
@Techtrino Yep, the Russians are preparing a 'hack' for a couple years now, it's called MiG Skat (Manta Ray).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiG_Skat
@notung Ha they had it coming...they were firing on they're own civilians! Well separatists but still I salute Russia for going in and protecting those people who otherwise would have been left to die at the hands of their persecutors.... =) They had more reason to invade another country than the Us did but OH NO when Russia Does it Cries of the soviet union are heard all throughout the media, dehumanizing them and making them seem like vicious monsters
@Techtrino They do use encryption.
@molumen Do you really believe the Russian MiG Skat can kill the Boeing's Phantom Ray? Not a chance in hell.
The MiG Skat is heavy as hell, it can't even fly near the speed of the Phantom.
@Happy
Well all I know is that everybody could tap into the video stream from the drones, pentagon thought that nobody would be smart enough to actually try it, so they did not encrypt it, I for one start to understand why the american military is so poorly regarded around the world and thats not any because they target civilians etc
Skynet would be online by Christmas!!!
@8th Gamer I'm just waiting for the paperclip in a flight suit.
"Looks like you're trying to invade a country. I can help you with that."
@PyRo1509
Nah they are more smarter these days
"you typed make peace with country. Did you mean WAR?"
@8th Gamer
Probably shouldn't have cancelled Sarah Connor.
@8th Gamer Impossible! Sony is looking to take down the AF PS3 Skynet Backbone! But Google is picking up the slack!
Wonder Woman in angry. That's HER thing.
It must have Tegra 2
HOLY CRAP ITS THE PLANE FROM THAT MOVIE WITH JESSICAL BIEL
@Punisher Plum its name was EDI
@Punisher Plum One lightning strike, thts all it takes..Skynet
@Punisher Plum
Mmmmmm...Jessica Biel
let's start play Command & Conquer "Reality"...
@cimoalpacino Same thought here, now about the mind controll...
looks sick, I want one..... makes that silly looking vaporware from that french parrot iTouch controlled A.R. Drone toy that was supposed to launch when..... look even more stupid.
@cosmicinglewood "misinformation" do you honestly think the DOD would be publishing their state of the art surveillance and intelligence hardware? Duh.... lol
But why? who will the Americans attack next, how about Canada, it could be fun to see what would happen if they actually attack someone with more than stick and stones :D
@Techtrino Im not attempting to insult you or Canada, but really? You think you'd stand a chance? There are few countries who spend the kind of money the US does on defense and Canada is not one of them.
@ RLBurkes
Nor should we. I believe it was the famous historian, Various People, who said: "The only thing we have to fear is... I'd like a double bean burrito... which results in the signature mushroom cloud... and can be found anywhere from Honduras to Nunavut... for a fraction of the cost of a standard hunting knife." And what he meant by this is obvious: America is clearly compensating for something with all that explosive weaponry.
Think about it. I didn't.
@RLBurkes
Actually, no one else spends that kinda money on defense. W/ that figure slightly over 50%, the U.S. now exists primarily to wage war and to ever increase its potential to do so.
The only hope for a decisive spanking (in all theaters, including the home front) may be from lord Vader's own massive fleet of unmanned Tie fighters and 6th generation trooper clones [oops! I hope that was no longer classified, Vader].
@Techtrino Nam is first; Apple is funding the mission.
@Evolyptic You comment gave me a healthy LOL :)
@Evolyptic Just in time for the iPhone 5G
@F C The U.S. does not exist primarily to wage war. Take your liberal crap else where.