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Interesting stuff. The "directed energy" weapons have long been discussed among the "conspiracy" types, but its for real. If anyone has done any research on the technology, it is some scary stuff.

Thought this would be interesting for the military buffs.

The Army's state-of-the-art Stryker Brigade Combat teams, which the service says will form the heart of the future of the Army. The 3,500-soldier teams are "quick strike" outfits designed to be deployed to a global hotspot within 96 hours. The heart of the teams is the Stryker troop vehicle, the Army's vision for combining the might of its armored tanks with the agility of a lighter infantry troop carrier. Filled with state-of-the-art equipment, the mini-tank Stryker can cruise at 60 mph and can be dropped into a war zone, ready on landing to fight.

Hogwash Stryker is a death trap Once again the Army has stupidly picked a bad vehicle. The Stryker reminds me of the M4 Sherman which was dubbed the "Ronson Lighter" because it always lit the first time. The M8 Buford Armored Gun System (A great vehicle IMHO)was cancelled by Clinton to pay for his Kosovo war leaving the 82nd Airborne with no air droppable armor support. It also left light cav with no counter recon capability. The Stryker doesn't even meet it's program requirements for delivery by C-130 and it costs more than upgrading currently available M113 APC's. Once again stupid Army procurement leaves our troops vulnerable and lacking desperately needed vehicles and equipment. No wonder the lowly American GI is seen as a master of innovation.

this is even better...and being flown by a Lance Corporal no less..

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54068-2003Mar6.html
Washington Post
March 7, 2003
Pg. 14

A High-Tech Pilot Who Keeps His Feet On The Ground

By Jonathan Finer, Washington Post Staff Writer

LIVING SUPPORT AREA 7, Kuwait, March 6 -- Michael Deguzman is not a pilot, but he will have a bird's-eye view of the battlefield if U.S. forces are ordered to invade Iraq. That's because the 21-year-old lance corporal is the only Marine in his battalion with an airplane in his backpack.
< snip >

His job requires a special ability, his commanding officers said, and Deguzman was one of just a handful of Marines selected for an intense month-long training session on the Dragon Eye in November, as the newest version of the drone was finishing production. Deguzman has the compact build of a wrestler, but his thick thatch of brown hair is tinged orange from long days spent surfing back in Huntington Beach, Calif. Good-natured and articulate, he speaks Danish, Swedish and Norwegian.

"He's the only guy we have that can fly it," said Sgt. Maj. Henry Bergeron. "And that says something about him. I like to kid him that it must get pretty cramped in that cockpit."

The appeal of cutting-edge technology is what led Deguzman to the military in the first place. But the Marine Corps, which prides itself on getting by with fewer high-tech gadgets than the other service branches, was an unlikely spot for him to land. "I have three uncles in the Navy, so that might have seemed more obvious," he said. "I chose the Marines because they give young grunts a lot of responsibility. And I'm a good example of that."
< snip >

*- A potentially revolutionary "directed energy" weapon, a still-secret technology the Pentagon did not officially acknowledge until last fall. Defense industry experts say the military now has the capability to manipulate microwaves to emit short energy spikes that can zap everything from computer memories and artillery targeting devices to truck ignitions and locomotive engines*.

Ahhh....we have created the means to our own destruction.

BQM-145 Direct Energy Weapon

Dragon Eye Dragon Runner Pakbot JASSM

Shadow 200 ADW

Stryker

I'm not into military stuff (although two of my nephews are "there" right now), but this stuff is hot!