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Kamikaze drones: A new weapon brings power and peril to the U.S. military Some experts believe the spread of low-cost, light-weight "killer" drones will change ground warfare as profoundly as the machine gun did.
https://www.nbcnews.com/ ^ | Dec. 6, 2021, 4:01 PM EST | By Ken Dilanian

Posted on 12/06/2021 9:19:43 PM PST by RomanSoldier19

DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah — The killer drone whooshed out of its launch tube, spreading its carbon wings and shooting into the sky.

Flying too fast for the naked eye to track, the battery-powered robot circled the Utah desert, hunting for the target it had been programmed to strike. Moments later, it sailed through the driver’s side window of an empty pickup truck and exploded in a fireball.

“Good hit,” exclaimed an operator from AeroVironment, the company that produces the drone and sells it to the U.S. military.

NBC News traveled to a military testing center for exclusive access to the first public demonstration of the Switchblade 300, a small, low-cost “kamikaze” drone made by AeroVironment, which sources said the U.S. military has used quietly for years in targeted killing operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

The demonstration told a story of promise and peril.

Americans have become accustomed to images of Hellfire missiles raining down from Predator and Reaper drones to hit terrorist targets in Pakistan or Yemen. But that was yesterday’s drone war.

A revolution in unmanned aerial vehicles is unfolding, and the U.S. has lost its monopoly on the technology.

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...


TOPICS: Israel; News/Current Events; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: armenia; aviation; azerbaijan; ccp; china; drone; drones; egypt; israel; russia; syria; ukraine; usmil; waronterror

1 posted on 12/06/2021 9:19:43 PM PST by RomanSoldier19
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To: RomanSoldier19

pretty lame technology, we were doing swarming armed drones 25 years ago


2 posted on 12/06/2021 9:21:45 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: RomanSoldier19

I doubt a drone can travel faster than a laser.
It could be problematic between low tech nations.


3 posted on 12/06/2021 9:23:09 PM PST by Jonty30 (I love giving directions, because it is liko. e me to tell people where to go and how to get there.)
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To: RomanSoldier19

machine gunner dies 1st


4 posted on 12/06/2021 9:23:23 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: RomanSoldier19

Related...

https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/4018866/posts


5 posted on 12/06/2021 9:23:46 PM PST by ButThreeLeftsDo (The best things in life aren't things.)
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To: RomanSoldier19

So then the movie “Angel Down” where the drones attacked and killed off the entire President’s guard team wasn’t so out of the realm of possibility...

Tube launched remote-controllable fast drones with charges.


6 posted on 12/06/2021 9:27:38 PM PST by Gaffer
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To: RomanSoldier19

The Azerbaijanis deployed an Israeli made drone system decimated Armenian armor, inflicted heavy casualties and defeated the Armenians in a short but very decisive war. Drones have made land targets, moving or stationary very vulnerable. They are so stealthy, lethal and the targeting so accurate that one technologically competent soldier in a bunker, given enough drones can destroy a division of armor or a fleet of surface combatants. If Taiwan wants to defend itself, it should count on drones and forget Biden.


7 posted on 12/06/2021 9:31:02 PM PST by allendale
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machine gunner using tracers... Oh, I got a line on you..


8 posted on 12/06/2021 9:33:25 PM PST by mylife (Joe Biden is like bald tires in the rain, Alec Baldwin with a gun....)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

9 posted on 12/06/2021 9:39:54 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: allendale

Taiwan can’t keep its ports open with drones. The Chinese attack isn’t going to be an attack, but a blockade.


10 posted on 12/06/2021 9:43:08 PM PST by buwaya
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To: RomanSoldier19

That’s Funny.


11 posted on 12/06/2021 10:28:33 PM PST by Big Red Badger (Make His Paths Straight!)
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To: Big Red Badger

12 posted on 12/07/2021 12:33:13 AM PST by RomanSoldier19 (Res ad Triarios venit)
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To: mylife

Tracers point both ways for sure.


13 posted on 12/07/2021 12:52:56 AM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: allendale

“The Azerbaijanis deployed an Israeli made drone system decimated Armenian armor, inflicted heavy casualties and defeated the Armenians in a short but very decisive war.”

So much Irony it hurts.


14 posted on 12/07/2021 1:30:05 AM PST by the_individual2014
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To: mylife
pretty lame technology, we were doing swarming armed drones 25 years ago

The opening ceremonies for the Korean Olympics years ago, was a real eye opener for what was possible at the time... but the millions watching thought it was just entertainment.

15 posted on 12/07/2021 3:25:33 AM PST by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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To: SunkenCiv

The mini cruise missiles rely a lot on GNSS.


16 posted on 12/07/2021 3:55:28 AM PST by Theophilus (Thes so-called "vaccines" are the top three comorbidities)
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To: SunkenCiv

Bkmk


17 posted on 12/07/2021 7:05:18 AM PST by cuban leaf (My prediction: Harris is Spiro Agnew. We'll soon see who becomes Gerald Ford, and our next prez.)
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To: RomanSoldier19
the U.S. has lost its monopoly on the technology

And pilots. https://thedroneracingleague.com/about-drl/

18 posted on 12/07/2021 7:08:34 AM PST by 1Old Pro (Let's make crime illegal again!)
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