You can’t blame ‘em for trying, I guess. Defense contractors want to sell a bigger pile of their gear to the Pentagon. So, from time to time, they come up with all kinds of, shall we say, sub-optimal explanations why their hardware should be used more often. Like jamming IEDs with supersonic fighters. Or delivering commandos with 14,000-ton destroyers.
Here’s the latest brainstorm, courtesy of Raytheon: Use Tomahawk cruise missiles to handle reconnaissance. That’s right. $750,000-a-shot Tomahawks. Never mind the fact that a Predator drone can handle hundreds of spy missions, for a $4.5 million price tag. (For argument’s sake, let’s say it costs $45,000 per flight, when you throw in maintenance money and pilot pay.) The Pentagon should spend 750 large for a one-time, one-way unmanned flight.
Now, Tomahawks are certainly faster than Predators — 528 miles per hour, as opposed to 135. But we’ve got plenty of fighter jets doing supersonic recon already. And the idea that, somehow, a Tomahawk could be a “cheaper… alternative to unmanned aerial vehicles,” as National Defense magazine tries to argue this month? C’mon, guys. I know you’ve got sales targets to make. But this is taxpayer money here. You need a better explanation than that.
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In a non combat or light combat zone the high flying Predators are the one to have, but in a combat zone a low flying hard to hit target missile may be a better choice.
Not low cost by any means though.
In Vietnam the Teledyne Ryan AQM-34L “Firebee” was used for low level passes over highly defended targets.
Then again, if you stick a parachute on the cruise missile you might be able to make it reusable. I heard that suggestion somewhere else, but I don’t remember where.
Then on the other hand, if you want to do recon in Iran then this works.
I agree. This is just a dumb idea.
I know the tactical Tomahawk is cheaper then the original one, and can do a couple hours worth of recon before heading towards its target…But using them just for recon is just redicluous.
sounds like Raytheon is grasping for straws.
They should stick with the predators, they are (reletively) cheap and stealthy.
I do like the skunkworks concept of the UAV with foldable wings that sits in a subs missile tube…that idea is far better then raytheons.
So, developing new capabilities for existing systems is a bad thing and not a force multiplier?
Could they be pressing for their company to make more money, yes. Are they doing it contrary to US interests, no! Such a device could be beneficial to the Navy in particular, especially during a shooting war or for covert missions.
Use some freaking imagination in your “reporting” instead of using predjudice.
I think that this idea stinks. There are other methods on getting information on targerts. I have done some thinking on what is trying to be done. Like everything else there are good things that are good and then there are bad things.
The good things are the cruise missle is faster and there are no lives being lost. The bad are many, the cost for launching, and for a one way flight.
I will go with the idea with putting a parachute but then the enemy will be able to track it and intercept the missle. All information will be stored in there.
Good Morning Guys,
Although this on the surface sound like another expensive dumb idea dreamed up by those who see more “Tomahawk” sales as a career move I see one major really major disadvantage to this idea.
Lets say you are a country, friendly or on Predident Bush axis of evel list(s), it really doesn’t matter much, you see a “Tomahawk” flying towards you, is it there to take your picture or to blow something up?
In view of the irrational and irresponsible behavior of the Bushes I would say this is a risk better not taken.
ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
I don’t know. There is a bunch of talk about building some sort of reconn drone for subs. One that is resusable. Maybe reconn on a tommahawk most especially if it doesn’t take away its ability to do its principal job and can be self destructed when its end game isn’t blowing something up might not be entirely a bad idea. It would give ariel reconn to subs which could really use it. It could also potentially add reconn capabilities during its flight to a target. Potentially in the long run even lead to a loitering capability that could allow it to search for targets before actually attacking.
While it a waste on the surface there are any number of reasons why it might not be such a bad idea.
It sounds similar to the trinational Cl-289 drone, isnt it??
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In a non combat or light combat zone the high flying Predators are the one to have, but in a combat zone a low flying hard to hit target missile may be a better choice.
Not low cost by any means though.
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I think that this idea stinks. There are other methods on getting information on targerts. I have done some thinking on what is trying to be done. Like everything else there are good things that are good and then there are bad things.
The good things are the cruise missle is faster and there are no lives being lost. The bad are many, the cost for launching, and for a one way flight.
I will go with the idea with putting a parachute but then the enemy will be able to track it and intercept the missle. All information will be stored in there.
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