Posted on 05/31/2017 6:46:04 AM PDT by KeyLargo
In Urgent Request, US Special Ops Adds 350 Kamikaze Drones to Fight ISIS
And that's not all. The command is also opening a drone-hacker lab to help keep up with ISIS weaponeers.
TAMPA, Florida — Here’s how Mad Max the situation in Iraq is right now. Earlier this year, the military put out an urgent request for inexpensive kamikaze drones that special operations troops could fire from handheld bazooka-like launchers against ISIS, according to documents obtained by Defense One. It’s another sign that drone warfare is changing far faster than traditional military equipping can keep up, a fact reinforced this week by leaders with U.S. Special Operations Command, or SOCOM.
In its Joint Urgent Operational Needs Statement, SOCOM requested 325 “Miniature Aerial Missile Systems,” or LMAMS, by summer. That delivery has already been completed. AeroVironment officials confirmed to Defense One that they recently delivered about 350 Switchblades, a tube-launched drones outfitted with cameras and cursor-on-target GPS navigation. The company bills the device as a “miniature flying lethal missile can be operated manually or autonomously.” It can fly for about 15 minutes, at up to 100 miles per hour. The Pentagon put a similar request for Switchblades back in 2013.
Special operations forces have highlighted the need for new types of drones, or drone missiles, to strike rapidly adapting non-state enemies like the Islamic State. To help drive innovation, U.S. Special Operations Command intends to open a hacker lab in Tampa as part of the broader SOFWERX initiative.
(Excerpt) Read more at defenseone.com ...
Several years ago a video made the rounds of a squad of our boys on patrol in Iraq being fired upon by enemy who they could not see. One of them hunkered down, unpacked and fired a Switchblade. It apparently had a camera and ordnance. Because it located AND wasted the offending unit.
They showed a documentary recently about Iraqi troops in Mosul. The general was being stalked by ISIS drones equipped with a hand grenade. He had to keep on the move, could only stop at any location for a few minutes and then had to get under cover as the drones would attack. These seemed to be cheap readily available drones like you would get at the store.
Hah. Yoo punny guy...
Initiated another man last night.
BTW, how are you?
I understand you may have driven south recently to visit a friend.
How is she?
How’s the job? The boy?
Hussein and Hillary worked hard to set up ISIS. As a Muslim, Hussein will have to do something to save his jihad. President Trump was NOT kidding when he said Hussein and Hillary set up ISIS.
cheap readily available drones like you would get at the store.
Yeah, but where do I get the grenades?
Is that what Benghazi was really all about? Not 20K manpads, 20K bazooka DRONES. That were unjammable?
How much are they?
OK! That’s about right for Chicago but a lot less than needed in middle east...
Holland. Ask for the V-40’s...
In no particular order Sick. Well. Better. Imperiled. Yes.
Ack...LOL
I hope those who see this will call their representatives and ask them to join Congressman Babin in support of our heroes like Derrick Miller!
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