Mini-drones for the military
A new drone design for the military would allow vehicles to carry four miniature helicopter camera drones, capable of flying two at a time.
The Black Hornet drone feels like a movie prop. Roughly the size and weight of a sparrow, the robotic scout helicopter has already seen use with British special forces. At the 2018 Association of the United States Army exposition in Washington, D.C., Black Hornet-maker FLIR showed off the latest way to carry the drone into combat: a miniature hanger for four drones, roughly the size of a large breadbox. It’s called the Vehicle Reconnaissance System.
Like a description from a lost G.I. Joe catalog, the VRS fits four helicopters into chambers known as cassettes. The box containing cartridges full of robots can be mounted on vehicles, including people-transporting machines and also uncrewed ground vehicles. That’s right, this is a box full of robots that can go on a robot and launch more robots. It’s quite the exhibit of remote warfare.
The goal is to provide the soldier in the vehicle a way to gain information about nearby enemy positions from the air, in real time.
What is intriguing, and somewhat scary about this, is that it prefigures a time when many tiny drones will be instantly deployable, but with killing capabilities, not simply camera.
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Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
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A new drone design for the military would allow vehicles to carry four miniature helicopter camera drones, capable of flying two at a time.
The Black Hornet drone feels like a movie prop. Roughly the size and weight of a sparrow, the robotic scout helicopter has already seen use with British special forces. At the 2018 Association of the United States Army exposition in Washington, D.C., Black Hornet-maker FLIR showed off the latest way to carry the drone into combat: a miniature hanger for four drones, roughly the size of a large breadbox. It’s called the Vehicle Reconnaissance System.
Like a description from a lost G.I. Joe catalog, the VRS fits four helicopters into chambers known as cassettes. The box containing cartridges full of robots can be mounted on vehicles, including people-transporting machines and also uncrewed ground vehicles. That’s right, this is a box full of robots that can go on a robot and launch more robots. It’s quite the exhibit of remote warfare.
The goal is to provide the soldier in the vehicle a way to gain information about nearby enemy positions from the air, in real time.
What is intriguing, and somewhat scary about this, is that it prefigures a time when many tiny drones will be instantly deployable, but with killing capabilities, not simply camera.
Readers!
My annual February birthday fund-raising drive for Behind the Black is now over. Thank you to everyone who donated or subscribed. While not a record-setter, the donations were more than sufficient and slightly above average.
As I have said many times before, I can’t express what it means to me to get such support, especially as no one is required to pay anything to read my work. Thank you all again!
For those readers who like my work here at Behind the Black and haven't contributed so far, please consider donating or subscribing. My analysis of space, politics, and culture, taken from the perspective of an historian, is almost always on the money and ahead of the game. For example, in 2020 I correctly predicted that the COVID panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Every one of those 2020 conclusions has turned out right.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
The bulk of my career was spent in 19D
We are being phased out – I am obsolete
hondo: What is 19D? You have to assume people aren’t familiar with the inner jargon of your field.
Cavalry Scout 19D
https://www.goarmy.com/careers-and-jobs/browse-career-and-job-categories/combat/cavalry-scout.html
Slaughterbots, fake… Maybe,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlO2gcs1YvM&feature=share
2016 Ted talk… real,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCXGpEmFbOw&feature=share
Wayne, Who do you think will operate the drones ? Nineteen Deltas. And take it from an old 57-19A54, there’ll always be a place for the Mark One Eyeball….Drones are machines, with machine’s limitations, sometimes a living, breathing individual has to go take a look and find out.
(19A – Armor Qualified as Tanker & Cavalryman – primary specialty)
(54 – Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare – alternative specialty)
(Prefix 5 – Nuclear Weapons Employment Specialist)
(Prefix 7 – Airborne Qualified)
I understand the list of MOS codes since I retired (1999) so this may be strictly accurate today
This is Boston Dynamics new cute lil puppy!
What would this look like with Ma-Deuce on its head?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHBcVlqpvZ8
Gent –
squashed like a pancake – do you have any idea what a ma-deuce weighs unloaded – or a 50 cal box?
Hondo…it’s only 90 lbs. When puppy ‘grows’ up, it’ll handle the weight
Sky-net goes online in 2020
https://www.rt.com/news/442436-robots-build-robots/