DARPA Wants Distributed Network of Deep Sea Storage Units 81
Zothecula writes "DARPA has seen the future of naval warfare and it's falling upward. As part of an effort to reduce the logistics of sending equipment into trouble areas, the agency's Upward Falling Payloads project is aimed at developing storage capsules capable of remaining on the deep seabed for years. These would contain non-lethal military assets that could be deployed on the spot years in advance and rise to the surface as needed."
Possible side benefit: they need to research communications systems reliable enough to command the deep sea capsules when needed.
Re:Use Concrete .... (Score:4, Interesting)
Meanwhile, 12,000 years from now... (Score:5, Interesting)
Ocean explorers recover a remarkably well-preserved, ancient artifact from the deep mud of the ocean floor.
"What the hell is it??"
"I don't really know. It must be newer than the geological data indicate. We have no record of any prior advanced civilizations."
Re:Meanwhile, 25 years from now... (Score:5, Interesting)
My real question is how they're going to make it strong enough to unstick itself.
Easily done with burn-wires dropping weights, or compressed air cylinders de-flooding chambers or inflating sacks. All of this technology already exists in the commercial market place. The navy already has deep sea (slow speed) com systems to submarines.
The intent is to store surveillance assets (drones, balloons or sonobuoys) that can be called into action from 4000 feet down after long term storage on the bottom. .