September 4, 2010: An American firm (Rockwell Collins) has developed more powerful flight control software for UAVs. The ASAC (Automatic Supervisory Adaptive Control) was originally developed to assist pilots in keeping heavily damaged aircraft stable, and flyable. ASAC has been successfully tested with large scale models of the F-18, that were heavily damaged (like a large part of a wing and other flight surfaces torn up or removed). The most common problems with UAVs are less catastrophic damage and more tricky winds or the failure of mechanical components. ASAC would enable UAVs to be built with fewer backup systems, and eliminate a lot of crashes that could have been avoided if a live pilot (who could better sense what was going on) was on board. A pilot on the aircraft can react more quickly to these emergencies, in situations where speed of response is essential. But in many situations, even a human pilot can't handle it. Robots, on the other hand…