Lockheed Martin Plans Unmanned Aircraft 322
Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "Lockheed Martin's secretive Skunk Works unit--which previously developed U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 supersonic spy plane and the radar-evading F-117 stealth fighter--has big plans for its latest project: drones. Among the concepts under development, according to the Wall Street Journal: 'One drone would be launched from, and retrieved by, submarines; another would fly at nine times the speed of sound. A third, which is off the drawing board but not quite airborne, has wings designed to fold in flight so that it could rapidly turn from slow-speed spy plane to quick-strike bomber.' The WSJ's reporter also is allowed a rare visit to the Skunk Works complex: 'A factory hall was filled with the prototype of a massive helium-filled airship that one day might ferry troops and heavy equipment to distant battlefields faster and more efficiently than ships--no port or airbase needed. The blimp would float just above the ground on four hover pads, meaning that "you could literally pick a farmer's field" to set down in, says program manager Robert Boyd.'"
UAV (Score:2, Interesting)
funny thing, that (Score:0, Interesting)
Nothing [boeing.com] at [uavworld.com] all [washingtontechnology.com]...
The trouble with unmanned vehicles... (Score:3, Interesting)
One step closer to the Terminator.. (Score:2, Interesting)
At this time technology isn't the problem. Question is, what will happen first?
- Errant political leaders misuse technology?
- Politically disgruntled scientist develops AI to run Terminators?
UAV before auto-drive cars (Score:3, Interesting)
One of the first UAV experiments was the Snark. So many crashed into the waters off the test facility that they were called Snark Infested Waters. We've come a long way since then.
Death Stats - Iraq and Detroit (Score:2, Interesting)
A quick Google search -
Total Deaths Due to Unnatural Causes 2000 in Detroit (page 55)
955 - 719 Male, 236 Female (Black Non-Hispanic: 540 Male, 178 Female)
Iraq War - March 2003 - Feb. 6
2,452
Don't know if the Detroit numbers have gone up or down, but that was an average of about 80 people a month in Detroit and 70 a month in Iraq. Not making any judgement about anything - just giving numbers. I'm not planning on moving either place any time soon.
Refs:
Detroit Health Department [detroit.mi.us]
CNN Casualty Counter [cnn.com]
hmm.. space elevators.. (Score:3, Interesting)
what if you made your blimp out of the same material, in rigid form, and had an empty blimp.
pop quiz, what lifts better, helium, hydrogen, or vaccuum?
Re:UAV (Score:5, Interesting)
I agree with others in that the most versitile combat UAVs will just be a loitering platform for firing missiles and dropping LGBs. You can have some armed with a bunch of AAMs to protect the ones with the air-to-ground ordnance, as well as have some with both types of ordnance.