[myknowledge]

The RQ-11 Raven mini UAV looks so diminutively small and so cute.

It looks like a kid's super expensive flying toy.

[pyx]

Fantastic. I am certain the number of American lives these machines save, can not be calculated.

[AussieJoe]

I used to build R/C planes as a kid, but out of balsa and plastic film not kevlar, and for a heck of a lot less than $35k a piece!

[centurion316]

The powerpoint chart is misleading. It portrays the Air Force scheme for command and control that includes satellite data links and implys control from a CONUS location. The Army does not use satellite data links, the UAV has a RF link to a local ground station.

Raven gathers time sensitive tactical information. The troops who need the information fly the airplane and get real time downlink. This little UAV can also be launched within minutes, when and where the commander wants it.

There is a big argument between the Army and the Air Force over air space management with these systems. The Air Force would like to have all UAV’s integrated into the Air Tasking Order (ATO) which will greatly curtail the tactical responsiveness of these systems. The Air Force correctly points out that mid air collisions between manned and unmanned systems is not a good thing. The Army counters with other methods for air space managemnt. Bottom line is that the system works well, but interoperability issues remain.

[wbarmy]

As much as I love this article and the topic, I must post a comment of disagreement. The Raven is not “evolving”. “Mutations” are not occuring randomly and changing the device in small ways until it becomes a B-52.

It is being purposefully changed and modified to meet the designers needs and changing situation. The only random mutation the Raven could ever perform is a full head on into the ground, then it “evolves” into trash. (Rant off)