Last month, a Swedish Gripen fighter crashed when the pilot suddenly ejected. The pilot insisted that he had not activated the ejection system. After intense investigation, and lots of computer simulation of flight systems, investigators concluded that the pilots account of events was accurate.

Turns out that if enough g-force is applied to the aircraft, the pilot ejection system automatically activates. This leaves the aircraft without a pilot, right after it has performed a stressful maneuver (to produce the high g-force.)

This sort of thing is increasingly common with modern weapons systems. That because these systems are increasingly more complex systems of systems, where it has become impossible to forecast all of the possible unpleasant, and unwanted, events that could occur under certain situations.

more from [url=http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/articles/20070529.aspx] Strategy Page[/url]

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Filed under: Security - @ June 23, 2007 8:03 pm

Tags: army