The next wave in US robotic war: Drones on their own

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States (US) military's current fleet of drones will soon be overtaken by a new wave of robots that will be faster, stealthier and smarter - operating virtually without human intervention, experts say.

The Pentagon is investing heavily in "autonomy" for robotic weapons, with researchers anticipating squadrons of drones in the air, land or sea that would work in tandem with manned machines - often with a minimum of supervision.

"Before they were blind, deaf and dumb. Now we're beginning to make them to see, hear and sense," Mr Mark Maybury, chief scientist for the US Air Force, told AFP.

Unmanned aircraft are now overseen by "pilots" on the ground but as the drones become more sophisticated, the role of remote operators will be more hands-off.