The U.S. military has been working for a while on tiny, buglike drones — to serve as miniature flying spies, Defense Department robot-makers say. But this video, from the Air Force Research Laboratory, shows that the military is also interested in turning these “Micro Air Vehicles,” or MAVs, into biomorphic weapons that can lie in secret for weeks at a time — and then strike an adversary with lethal accuracy.
“Individual MAVs may perform direct-attack missions,” says the video’s gravelly voiced narrator. “They can be equipped with incapacitation chemicals, combustible payloads or even explosives for precision-targeting capability.”
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Wild Thing’s comment…..
This is awesome !! What a GREAT idea.
……Thank you RAC for sending this to me.
RAC has a website that is awesome. 336th Assault Helicopter Company
13th Combat Aviation Battalion – 1st Aviation Brigade – Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam
Wow!!! some awesome war fighting tools coming in the future.
‘If the enemy is in range, so are you.’ – Infantry Journal-
Awesome potential, but war has demonstrated there will always be a need for boots on the ground. I welcome the innovation as long as it doesn’t get our people killed like some of McNamara’s harebrained schemes did.
Just a quick peek at some stats.
VA projects about 414,000 deaths among our World War II veterans this year, for a daily rate of about 1,135. At the start of the year, VA estimated the number of World War II veterans at 5,032,591. The number of deaths per year among World War II veterans is projected to decline slightly for at least the next five years, although it will stay above the 1,000-per-day mark.
“Of the 2,709,918 Americans who served in Vietnam; less than 850,000 are estimated to be alive today, with the youngest American Vietnam veteran’s age approximated to be 54 years old.” So, if you’re alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last 1/3rd of all the U.S. Vets who served in Vietnam ? This is the kind of information we are used to reading about WWII and Korean War vets. So the last 14 years we are dying too fast, only a few will survive by 2015…if any. If true, 390 VN vets die a day, on average. So in 2190 days from today, you’re lucky to be a Vietnam veteran alive….. in only 6 years..
Thanks for the agent orange Mac.
Let’s just hope these are never used against the American People by a government who no longer trusts them.
This ‘bugbots’ stuff sounds super science fiction. But if it works then great.
Gee, thanks Jack, that’s like finding out in the morning your buddy set the Claymore in backwards.
Not good news at all.
Well, if I see something small object seeming to be following me, I guess I need to worry. It will mean I ticked off some govt. agency. IRS, BATF, CIA, FBI, TSA ???
Those are some tough numbers Jack. I get the local PGR(escort riders) itineraries and it seems like a disaportionate number of deaths are Vietnam vets. I have lost several friends to cancers, both rare and common types. For years I pooh-poohed the Agent Orange theory, but now I am really putting some belief in it. I really wonder what % of Vietnam vets make it into their 70’s compared to their draft dodging peers.
Jack, that is so sad, thank you for the information. Your right about Mac and Agent Orange too.
Thank you everyone for being here.