Posted on 08/23/2005 8:38:25 AM PDT by John Jorsett
American troops in Iraq have demanding smaller and more dependable micro-UAVs. The latest one developed for that purpose is the TACMAV. This is a 12 ounce UAV, which carries two color cameras for battery powered flights lasting 30-40 minutes.
A complete system weighs 12.4 pounds and include two UAVs, stored (with their bended plastic wings) in a 5x22 inch tube. A TACMAV can be launched within minutes. The operators pulls a UAV out of its tube, turns it on, fires up the five pound laptop computer used to control the UAV, sets up the antenna, makes sure that the control equipment is talking to the UAV, turns on the battery powered UAV engine and launches the UAV by throwing it into the air. Normally, the UAV goes to a series of way points selected by the operator. Onboard software handles the usual “flying” duties, although the operator can take over and maneuver the UAV via a joystick. Each system kit includes spare parts and repair tools. There’s a third UAV, in a tube, that is used as a spare and not carried in the 12.4 pound case containing all the other gear (two UAV tubes, laptop computer, Etc.). Each such system costs about $39,000. The manufacturer (Applied Research Associates) is producing these as fast as they can, but the Department of Defense won’t release numbers. TACMAV is basically an off-the-shelf item, configured for military use. The target user for TACMAV is the infantry platoon, or squad level patrol.
Won't short-range UAVs act like pointers to troop movements? I mean, if an enemy can spot such a UAV, won't it give away the location of ground troops?
Looks like something might buy at Walmart, I'd be afraid I would break the darn thing.
Each such system costs about $39,000 for off the shelf parts.
Seems high priced but what do I know. Are they reusable?
could also be used as decoy...
as in
"I saw lots of UAV's last night, they're probably coming
through here...."
Tracers work both ways.......
I wonder how quiet is it.
Can you imagine the troops having something like this in Korea, at Chosin? Having no idea, and this little thing beams back a image from over a ridge of the landscape carpeted with the enemy?
I'm afraid that UAV's and GPS-guided RC-type airplanes will be the ultimate terrorist weapon. No stopping their development, though.
Expensive decoys, at $40,000 apiece.
"Won't short-range UAVs act like pointers to troop movements? I mean, if an enemy can spot such a UAV, won't it give away the location of ground troops?"
I'm thinking it's going to be kind of hard to spot or hear at a thousand feet.
Need a wide angle lens to see several hundred thousand scree-ming Chinamen.
http://news.indiainfo.com/2003/10/19/19militants.html
Remote controlled toy planes smuggled into Jammu & Kashmir
Sunday, October 19 2003 19:16 Hrs (IST)
Jammu: Pakistan-backed militants have smuggled tiny Remote Controlled Toy Planes (RCTP) to Jammu division from across the border to target VIPs and aircraft, official sources said on October 19.
"The Pakistan-backed militants, particularly those of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), have smuggled 20 remote controlled toy planes to Jammu to target VIPs and aircraft in Jammu and Kashmir and cause terror and security problems," they told reporters in Srinagar.
The RCTPs, made of plastic material, have been smuggled from across the line of control (LOC) and International Border from Pakistan's launching pads Bhimber, Nikiyal, Samani, Kalsan, Basanter and Koteqube during past over one month, the sources said, quoting intelligence reports and intercepts.
"By smuggling these toy planes, a new chapter has been added to the 13-year-old insurgency in the state after suicide attacks were introduced by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) in 1998," they said.
These remote controlled toy planes, weighing three to four kg, have a capacity to carry upto two kg of explosives enough to damage an aircraft or blow up a vehicle, they said.
The toy planes, which could fly at a height of 500 to 600 meters and controlled from a distance of one km, could be used to target VIPs, aircraft and oil depots, the sources said.
They could cause problems for aircraft taking off or landing as they could not be detected by radars because of its size, they said.
Security has been beefed up around the airport, oil depots and VIP areas after the reports were received, they said. "Efforts are on to recover these toy planes at the earliest to avoid any tragedy."
"It is difficult to locate these toy planes in the city. Security agencies are working in close co-ordination to ensure early breakthrough," they said.
Earlier two toy planes were recovered from Darhal area of Rajouri district in 1998-99 by the police, they said. Those planes were bigger in size and weighing near 20 kg and could take a load of 15 kg of explosives.
The Press Trust of India
http://www.geocities.com/bharatvarsha1947/Feb_2003/letbomb.htm
Terror Toys: LeT to use small bomb-loaded planes against India
Press Trust of India Monday, February 03, 2003
New Delhi, February 3 In order to have a "mini replica" of September 11 attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has directed militants, especially of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), to use "toy planes" to target Army posts and VVIPs.
Quoting an interrogation report of a LeT militant arrested in the state, informed sources said that the ISI had handed over a "fleet" of four dozen such planes, capable of carrying 10-15 kilograms of RDX, to LeT for carrying out an attack on Army posts or helicopter gunships of the Indian Air Force.The sources said two such planes were recovered recently from Rajouri district of Jammu region. The "toy planes" which can be operated by a remote control, take a set trajectory and hit a target within a range of 300 metres.
The arrested militant said that the plane was displayed at a Lashkar congregation in Pakistan. The militant was unable to give any further information about the toy plane but told his interrogators that the plane had flown out of his sight during its trial, the sources said.
The militant had said that the ISI wanted to repeat performance of the September 11 of bombing of twin towers in the US by carrying out similar attacks, though using these toy planes, the sources said.
>>Looks like something might buy at Walmart, I'd be afraid I would break the darn thing.<<
Wallmart has 'em. And they are only $38,000!
>>I'm thinking it's going to be kind of hard to spot or hear at a thousand feet.<<
Being electric, they will be hard to hear at 50 feet! I assume the black is for night missions.
At night they are as close to invisible as one could come without a romulan cloaking device.
Before it gets to 1000 feet, it has to go up from ground level. A tiny thing like that will take a lot of time to attain that altitude. And it will give away the troop position more acurately when it is still not attained stated altitude. That's when it will be detected, what do you say?
Conventional UAVs on the other hand, are independently launched, and far off from the deployed troops.
Perhaps these things will work well against low-tech fighters like the Iraqi militants. But what about against a well-developed military, say China, or even NK?
These things have got to be invaluable. Think about it, before you go into a town, you just fly it to find out if the enemy is there, their positions, weaponry, etc.
However, Strategy Page says that each plane only lasts for about 2 dozen flights, tops. So the troops have to use them VERY carefully.
I say, lets get our troops as many as they need. 'Spose we could get wal-mart to Mfg. them in CHINA??? /sar.
Will Revell made a model kit? can one tell the difference?..
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