First robot planes took pictures of things too far away or in too dangerous an area for U.S. troops to see.
Then they strapped missiles on the drones, firing them at terrorist targets and knocking out IED emplacers. Robotic killers were born.
Now think about UAVs acting like mini-C-17s.
Trolling through the kiosks at the Air Force Associations Air and Space conference in Washington, I came across a pretty cool product thats been developed by Textron Defense Systems.
The Universal Aerial Delivery Dispenser is an underwing bomb-like pod that can carry as much as will fit in its nearly five foot-long, eight inch-diameter canister. Weighing in at a bantam 40 pounds unloaded, the U-ADD as its called, can carry a load of ammo, first aid equipment or other cargo to a pre-selected GPS coordinate. After the UAV drops the canister, a parachute deploys to ease its landing.
Textrons Richard Sterchele said the U-ADD has been tested already on the RQ-5 Hunter, MQ-9 Reaper and works on the RQ-1 Predator, which can carry about 140 pounds under each wing. He said though the Army hasnt formally bought the system, the spec ops community has expressed an interest in the systems ability to deliver covert materiel to remote locations with great stealth.
I dont even know some of the things they want to drop with this. And I dont think I want to know, Sterchele said.
And, oh, it can also deliver a lethal, cluster bomb-like payload or ground sensors and sonobuoys.
{ 30 comments… read them below or add one }
how long until we see operator insertions with UAVs?
Now that is actually a good idea, but maybe in like some paratrooper kind of UAVs (it would be a nice idea, since it wouldn’t be such a problem is the UAV was shot after dropping the payload), but some of these to carry people would also be cool (the rough landings would suck big time though)
hey if Master Chief can do it from orbit, it should be no problem for a regular operator to do it from a low-flying craft /nerd
100 pounds of cluster munitions would probably go a good ways.
Also having 100 pounds of gear, food and water, droppped all along your mission route could really do some interesting things for spec ops
though special operations insertions sounds really good. Want about a uav that can rescue downed pilots. This is a great idea though how many times have you heard of troops with no resupply etc
funny you should mention sonobuoys, i was just thinking about that today
there should be a better way for burke’s to deploy sonobuoys than just dumping them over the side or relying on the helos
a few ideas came to mind
1. gun firable rounds – this would be quite a challenge to get them to withstand the acceleration and make them small enough
2. VLS ‘cruise missile’ – somewhat similar to a tomahawk but essentially a uav that would fly a path and drop sonobuoy canisters at preprogrammed locations
3. VLS high-altitude – would fire a rocket straight up and release all the canisters at once at the apogee. Each canister would then direct itself to the appropriate location similar to a jdam. Not sure how much dispersal you could get.
4. uav – a true recoverable uav, but this would take up helo hanger space and it seems better to fit within the existing system (5″ rounds, VLS cells) than try to fit a new capability
“Calling Arnhem. Calling Arnhem. Help is on the way. Repeat, help is on the way. Expect resupply in 2010. Can you hold out? . . .
“Oh really? September 25, 1944, you say? Nevermind . . . “
A quick question:
If you need to drop supplies covertly, presumably you’d like to hide traces that the folks being supplied were there, too.
So how the heck do you *hide* that thing after it’s done its job?
Penta-
“A quick question:
If you need to drop supplies covertly, presumably you’d like to hide traces that the folks being supplied were there, too.
So how the heck do you *hide* that thing after it’s done its job?”
Maybe they could attach some explosive charges when they were to be used for undercover missions, then when they delivered their stuff the cover operators could time the charge, then get moving.
It could work, but i’m pretty sure a lot of people would think it was suspicious (a few guys come from no-one knows from, then some days later shit starts blowing up…)
i think if a team had to leave as quietly as they came, then a drone drop sled/capsule/what have you might not be the best, but if you needed to place someone somewhere relatively fast and quickly it might work well. a global hawk can carry what, 2000lbs and a predator can carry about 750? two predators or one global hawk can drop a 4-man team.
the global hawk could probably climb and loiter for a while until it was time to extract as well using a fulton system
Kind of stretching it to call a guided unpowered drop pod a UAV or UAS. This seems more like a smart bomb hollowed out for materiel drops.
Great for Spec Ops, & for:
CA wildfires
FL hurricanes
quakes, typhoons worldwide
Remote jungle outposts.
Ranger posts- forest, civil.
Carry food & clothing & comm equip.
Or more guns & ammo.
Use 24/7.
Mount on F14, FA18, F22, F32 JSF, Eurofighter,
F16, & C17, C141, C130 alone.
Nice.
Great for movie use IE Tears of the Sun 200X
have Bruce Willis call in some resupplies & low flying FA18 delievers Supply Units to Team.
Very doable
Or for use in 007 movie.
RF, I thank you. Because of the emergence of you, I find the disappearance of the long happy, because you find the emergence of my long lost smile, because you get to know me the emergence of more good brothers and good partners. I hope my friends in the game were playing very happy, and earning many cheap RF gold. I do not have gorgeous words, I have only the friends RF sincere friendship and love.
My friends in order to help me, send me much Requiem gold, I was very thank him
As usual, there are games to task; of course, this is no exception, because this can be upgraded! Thus the results and get more money! Of course, you can also buy LOTRO Gold!
The Azure Knight’s skill may defeat the match fast, when after you defeat them, you may use their skills, like this you do not need to buy 2moons dil.
Buycheap aoc gold , Therefore we’ve been mindful from the outset to create a world which is true to Howard’s writing. There is majesty in Hyboria but it’s of a monolithic, brutal and primitive kind – it certainly isn’t “high fairie” where everything appears as though it was built only yesterday and is devoid of context.”
Each class has its own set of stances, which level separately from the character itself, and this Sword of the New World Vis makes each character class highly customizable.
As a premium player you will have additional abilities and advantages inside and outside the game. Buy Tibia Gold to make Tibia even more fun!
So I spent some mabinogi gold to study. After school study the lovable gray wolf became collapses at the first blow.
You said that who dares to annoy me and you will look for him to PK, and make him lose his all lastchaos money.
For in the game I can have a family, I was go all out to work make Lord Of The Rings Gold, so long as there were the methods which could make money I has tried.
Perhaps that I should not accept your gift and your Habbo Coins.
I only want to say that, we are playing the game is not the game playing us, game only used for the entertainment, do not let ourselves feel so tried, do not because some cheap 2moons dil then affect the feeling. Sincere treatment of others, you will get many of my friends.
Now when boy heard his colleagues buy cabal alz or discuss which place can buy the cheap cabal alz, he often thinks of the girl, but he knows that all things already finished.
this game again, although this is network, but playing together a long time, there is a soul of the same feeling, and every time you think of a buy dofus kamas, now also do not see in you.
One day, I read a article about Tibia Gold game. I was very dispirited and couldn’t help to give up Tibia coins.
If you’re wondering how to look out for bots, how to avoid them and what to do buy sro gold, you have come to the right place.
Thanks for reading and hopefully there will be a lot more Silkroad gold where that came from!
Now when I talked with them, I often told them how to bought the cheap Final Fantasy XI Gold, they all said that I had a great changed, I am very happy.