本文为美国詹姆斯麦迪逊大学（作者：Nathan Richards Fields）的硕士论文，共161页。

在过去的十年里，无人驾驶飞行器（UAV）已经彻底改变了美国在低强度冲突中如何与难以捉摸的武装分子交战，允许在不危及战斗人员生命的情况下持续投放军事力量。虽然无人机的使用可能在未来冲突中具有更多的战术优势，但关于无人机研发的战略愿景几乎没有达成一致，这对于美国在满足国家安全目标的无人机研发项目中分配有限的资源是必要的。目前的研究表明，未来无人机技术的演进将使得美国空军的全自主情报、监视和侦察（ISR）/无人机攻击系统能够通过多种方式感知战场环境，识别目标并对实时分析进行响应。本文论述了人工神经电路的重大进步所带来的技术发展，这些进步有助于实现无人自主系统功能所需的人工智能创新。有关争论都是基于对自主系统的军事和经济效益预测，并将中情局成功的无人机计划所建立的历史模型扩展到美国空军发现的自己无法处理的非常规战争（UW）冲突中。本文针对不受控制的致命技术、冲突初始阈值和过度依赖高科技系统的脆弱性，提出了反驳意见。在全自主无人机技术的案例中，研究通过强调人工智能、“智能”广域传感器和协作微型无人机的重要交互作用，为自主无人机的使用提供了一个未来的战略远景。

Over the past decade, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have revolutionized how the U.S. engages elusive militants in low-intensity conflicts by allowing the U.S. to project continuous military power without risking combat casualties. While UAV usage promises additional tactical advantages in future conflicts, little agreement exists regarding a strategic vision for UAV research and development, necessary for the U.S. to allocate limited resources among UAV development programs that address national security objectives. The present research makes the case for a future UAV technology evolutionary path leading to fully autonomous intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)/strike UAV systems for the United States Air Force that are capable of sensing their environments through multiple modalities, recognizing patterns, and executing appropriate actions in response to their real-time analyses. The thesis addresses enabling technology inroads stemming from major improvements in our understanding of human neural circuitry that promise to enable innovations in the artificial intelligence needed to achieve autonomous system function. Arguments are based on projected military and economic benefits of autonomous systems and extend the historical model established by the CIA's successful UAV program to unconventional warfare (UW) conflicts that the U.S. Air Force finds itself illequipped to handle. Counter-arguments are addressed relating to uncontrolled lethal technology, conflict initiation thresholds, and the vulnerability of overreliance on high-technology systems. In making the case for fully automated UAV technology, research provides a strategic future vision for autonomous UAV usage by highlighting the important interaction of artificial intelligence, “smart” wide-area sensors, and cooperative micro UAVs.

 1.0 引言：欢迎来到后英雄时代

1.1 论文声明

1.2 UAV历史：1899 – 2011

1.3 当前和即将到来的无人机优势

1.4 UAV使用的挑战

2.0 眨眼之间，科学技术已呈现指数增长

2.1 人工智能的兴起

2.2 神经网络：一种理想自主系统的人工智能体系结构

2.3 自主无人机的战略未来愿景概述

2.4 讨论 

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