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Science & Technology |
Marines Throwing Wasps Into the Air |
2006-07-12 |
July 12, 2006: After over a year of testing and further development, the U.S. Marine Corps are sending the seven ounce Wasp Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) to Iraq and Afghanistan. The Wasp is a flat, rectangular "flying wing" (13 inch wingspan, about seven inches long), that can stay in the air for about 90 minutes. Once the battery powered propeller is spinning, the operator throws Wasp into the air, and off it goes, usually at a 100 foot altitude. You land it by pressing the autoland button, after you have entered GPS coordinates of where you want it to return to. The propeller often breaks off when it lands, but the Wasp was designed for that, and you just snap on another propeller. The $5-10,000 MAV can survive about twenty such landings. The MAV is controlled via a hand held ($30,000) device that looks like a Gameboy, but has a seven inch color screen and controls laid out for easy use. Operators do require more training than most other UAVs, because the Wasp travels closer to the ground, and the system is designed to let one operator control several Wasps at once. The Wasp carries a GPS, and microprocessor that keeps it stable in flight. It can also hover like a helicopter, a very useful capability for urban combat. The operator can also select a route via GPS coordinates, and order it to circle an area at any time. Two color video cameras are carried (one looking forward, and one looking to the rear), and then the Wasp is a hundred feet up, you can make out people below, and whether they are armed. The Wasp moves at a speed of 35-75 kilometers an hour (or about 9-19 meters a second). The controller can remain in touch with a Wasp that is up to ten kilometers away, after which the operator losses control, and the video feed. The controller, which is the same one used for larger micro-UAVs like the Raven and Pointer, which makes training easier. The version going into action is waterproof and has a night (infrared) camera. The major shortcoming of the Wasp is the difficulty of using it in windy or stormy conditions. This is a problem with all lightweight UAVs, and is particularly bad with the tiny Wasp. The troops, however, are happy to have it. The system is rugged, lightweight and simple to use. When the air is fairly still, the Wasp can go up and provide the troops with a major battlefield advantage. The army Special Forces have had success in the field with a 12 ounce micro-UAV, so the marines are confident they will be able to get some use out of the Wasp. The U.S. Navy is also testing the Wasp on ships, where it can be used for ship security while in port, or for checking out suspect ships and boats during interdiction operations. |
Posted by:Steve |
#18 I'd still appreciate a spooky or warthog over my shoulder... :-) |
Posted by: Frank G 2006-07-12 22:18 |
#17 er...Helicopter... |
Posted by: Manolo 2006-07-12 22:12 |
#16 "A small RC helicopter is about $200..." Have YOU, ever flown a R/C Hellicopter? There is a really, really steep learning curve, and even decent pilots crack them up from time to time. I think the wasp is the way to go. -M |
Posted by: Manolo 2006-07-12 22:11 |
#15 why not get reg hand controlled airplanes and put a small cameram on them? wouldn't it be alot cheaper Let's say you get 20 flights from a Wasp. That's probably a safe average -- some will be lost earlier, some will break earlier, and some will fly as long as a B-52. That comes out to $500 a flight. A small RC helicopter is about $200 -- no camera, no controller with integrated screen. Decent cameras are expensive; small decent cameras are even more expensive. Doesn't seem too expensive, considering the improvement in capabilities it gives. |
Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-07-12 17:37 |
#14 why not get reg hand controlled airplanes and put a small cameram on them? wouldn't it be alot cheaper That's what this thing is, basicaly. Only it is the Millspec version. Without going into a long, complicated discussion of why millspec is a good and necessary thing, you may rest assured that these drones are as cheap as we can make them. The hand controller and related bits, OTOH, are veddy 'spensive. Having used the raven (army) version myself, these small drones will wind up being one of the most useful bits of gear to come out of this war. I just hope they don't get too gold plated to use. |
Posted by: N guard 2006-07-12 16:10 |
#13 Wonder if Estes still has the jibs for the CineRoc. |
Posted by: 6 2006-07-12 16:07 |
#12 why not get reg hand controlled airplanes and put a small cameram on them? wouldn't it be alot cheaper |
Posted by: Greamp Elmavinter1163 2006-07-12 13:31 |
#11 wxjames: you know that years ago, they tried making a frisbee-like explosive throwing weapon? That didn't work out, so they went down the list from lacrosse sticks to jai alai scoops to baseball grenades. They never did come up with anything very satisfactory. |
Posted by: Anonymoose 2006-07-12 12:57 |
#10 I can't wait for the Hornet |
Posted by: 6 2006-07-12 11:33 |
#9 Cap, sorry about the bad link. Try http://www.gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/vehicles/wasp-mav-sevenounce-drone-038180.php |
Posted by: jay-dubya 2006-07-12 11:29 |
#8 Tres cool. "Wasp MAV" |
Posted by: jay-dubya 2006-07-12 11:28 |
#7 So I guess my frisbee weapon is out the window, eh ? |
Posted by: wxjames 2006-07-12 11:24 |
#6 I thought us W A S P's were bad? Now we are politically correct on a good weapon to help the soldiers. I feel better. |
Posted by: plainslow 2006-07-12 11:04 |
#5 The Doors foretold this development years ago... Artist: The Doors Album: The Very Best of the Doors Title: The WASP (Texas Radio and the Big Beat) Authors: Densmore/K/M/M |
Posted by: Captain America 2006-07-12 10:46 |
#4 Note to all Pacifists: Take those Game Boys away from your kids...they're training for combat. |
Posted by: GK 2006-07-12 10:17 |
#3 How long till some clever grunt sticks a 4-oz C$ charge in there and rigs a detonator button? |
Posted by: mojo 2006-07-12 10:15 |
#2 Wasps ... Why do they hate us? |
Posted by: Lancasters Over Dresden 2006-07-12 10:02 |
#1 I...consider...this...a...war crime! And a personal insult! |
Posted by: John Fn Kerry 2006-07-12 09:57 |