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 ...
They said that about the bow.
Then they said it about the matchlock.
Then they said it...........
When I was a kid there was a glider(a small unmanned one)that was launched with a large rubber band, the wings were folded until it reached a certain height and then they opened up and the glider soared. It was an improvement over the other balsa wood gilders that you had to throw by hand and very rarely got any altitude out of. Now they are using something similar(although powered and armed) to kill enemy troops.
Smelled like victory, I presume.
This may find its way to the border. It may be the type of weapon Perry is talking about.
“Whats that saying? Something like If its a fair fight, your tactics suck.”
“A fair fight is the result of poor planning” Gen. George Patton (I think)
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