Posted on 10/17/2011 7:40:01 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY
A miniature "kamikaze" drone designed to quietly hover in the sky before dive-bombing and slamming into a human target will soon be part of the US Army's arsenal, officials say.
Dubbed the "Switchblade," the robotic aircraft represents the latest attempt by the United States to refine how it takes out suspected militants.
Weighing less than two kilos, the drone is small enough to fit into a soldier's backpack and is launched from a tube, with wings quickly folding out as it soars into the air, according to manufacturer AeroVironment.
Powered by a small electric motor, the Switchblade transmits video in real time from overhead, allowing a soldier to identify an enemy, the company said in a press release last month.
"Upon confirming the target using the live video feed, the operator then sends a command to the air vehicle to arm it and lock its trajectory onto the target," it said.
The drone then flies into the "target," detonating a small explosive.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
send one after George Soros
Marquis. As in the Marquis de Sade, or the Marquis de Layfeyette.
The tiny insect sized guided munitions will work for a little while, on either side. And then logistics will overcome them.
Dumb bullets don't need computers or radio. But they do need factories and ships.
Swords and pikes don't need any of it, except a trained smith.
We'll eventually either nuke ourselves or go back to pike squares and M1s.
/johnny
See post #28 ;)
/johnny
What a great idea! Keeps our guys safer, kills bad guys, what’s not to love?
Plus, think of the potential for a commercial version. The perfect solution to annoying neighbors, yappy dogs, cheating spouses, etc.
This is the natural progression of fighting enemies who hide among civilians..
Our (US) civil war was fought on our land, across our fields, in our streets. Atlanta burned. Civilians killed.
It's certainly not about the hardware, it's all about the moral position, will, and logistics.
I would hope that I would say the same from BC to all the way through to today.
Since those are the only periods this military cook has studied.
The folks that own the logistics base, own the war (unless the will isn't there).
Last time it was the Federal US, with all the manufacturing up there.
These days, well, lots of folks have pointed out that taking over a few cities doesn't feed anyone...
/johnny
You're right. We need to have the military bring back non-cowardly fighting... You know, giving the enemy a fair chance, lining up in ranks to shoot each other, none of that cowardly hiding behind rocks and trees to shoot at the enemy.
Mark
Dead men tell no tales. Just a glorified bullet.
Going retro due to logistical failures is certainly a possibility. I just don't see it as a realistic probability.
Anybody else remember Schwartzkopf's response to that idiot reporter during the first Iraq war?
Mark
Of course, I do personally believe that it's a small mind that can't think of two or three ways to spell any word.
Hell, the brits spell Compte, 'count'.
/johnny
Does it scream out ‘banzai!!!!” right before it hits its target?
Not been on a deployment recently?
Sure we have computers to track the chalks. But all the NCOs have clipboards.
Stuff breaks. All day. Every day. Even today.
We fall back to the older ways (pencil and paper) without thinking about it.
Virus got the computers?
We've done this without it.....
I've seen the rapid fall-back. In person.
We'll do what's required. Or else why does anyone know what "Right, Face!" means today? Tens of thousands of recruits would turn to their right if you yelled that in the right spot. And hundreds would face to the left.....
/johnny
“I just hope these disposable drones go for a lot less than $500,000”
It would be worth it for a high-value target. OTOH, it did bother me a little when I saw snipers (and the surrounded area) eliminated with a called-in air strike. What made it worth it, I suppose was that our guys didn’t have to risk their lives to take out a POS.
“I remember a sci fi book years ago about a weapon similar to this. I think the title was”Butcherbird”
In “Childhood’s End” by Arthur C. Clarke, I believe that he invented the “force multiplier” idea, when a character asked the question, what is the more powerful weapon - an atomic bomb or a tiny insect-sized robot that flies in the ear of an enemy leader and drives him mad hearing voices all day and night, or words to that effect.
So, what happens when these things are mass-produced and cost $100?
They're working on the Rick Perry version which yells "Adios MOFO."
I have a MUCH simpler idea, and it’s reusable.
I only need umm, 1.5 Million for full development.
Small bills please.
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