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DEFCON 1! -- We Have A Situation!: Robotic Death-Chopper Goes Rogue Over DC

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Seen here practicing its pews, an unmanned robotic death & destruction copter went rogue while flying around Washington DC. I suspect it was coming to my old apartment. Thank God I never forwarded my mail!

A software error, combined with an unfortunate user action, led to a US military robot helicopter - developed from a manned version and capable of carrying a fearsome arsenal of weapons - straying into restricted airspace near Washington DC, according to reports.


Losses of communications between unmanned aircraft and ground operators are a routine event, but seldom have serious consequences. Robot planes and choppers lacking instructions from their human masters will normally circle where they are when comms go down, and control is almost always restored shortly thereafter...

The difference here is that the MQ-8 failed to follow its built-in failure protocol, instead continuing on course. Unmanned aircraft are generally restricted to operations in special military-controlled airspace and are forbidden to enter areas governed by normal civil rules.

Did you read that? It failed to follow its built-in failure protocol. Try to explain that, robot-apocalypse naysayers! It's coming. And when it does, oh boy, when it does. I'm gonna shit bricks! Hopefully gold ones.

ROBOT KILL-CHOPPER GOES ROGUE above Washington DC! [theregister] (who may or may not have learned they know about headline writing from yours truly)

Thanks to Tracy, spotisfocus, Mikey D., alan, Tareek, Chris, Mesnard, Matt and APOCALYPSE PAUL, who would have shot that beast out of the sky and made a laptop out of its guts. You, uh, sure that's safe?

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