You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Submit your comments on this article
Iraq
Militants killed by NEW US drone - Army Controlled "Hunter" Drone
2007-09-09
The US military brought a new weapon into the fight in Iraq, announcing the Army's first-ever use of a drone aircraft to kill enemy fighters in Iraq.

The Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, dropped a precision bomb on two suspected insurgents believed to be preparing to plant roadside bombs on September 1, the military said.

The drone was called in for the attack near Qarraya, 180 miles north-west of Baghdad, after a scout team from the 2nd Battalion, 25th Aviation Regiment, observed the insurgents at work
Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC

#22  Tee hee, Steve! Stop it, you're killin' me, man.

How come I have visions of the smoking crater with a spinning wheelchair rim in it (from Israel's decap strike on Yassin, or whatever his name was!
Posted by: BA   2007-09-09 22:12  

#21  The Hunter unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, dropped a precision bomb on two suspected insurgents believed to be preparing to plant roadside bombs on September 1, the military said.

People who have seen the video say they never heard it coming, one badguy was standing or siting on the IED he was implacing, the incoming missile set it off, and the only thing they found was his tennis shoes.
Posted by: Steve   2007-09-09 21:17  

#20  Well, there's one robot that never heard of Issac Asimov

Keith Laumer, another business entirely.
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-09-09 12:45  

#19  The Hunter might be able take off with one Hellfire and definitely with 2 Viper Strikes. For the same weight, two 7-10 count pods of Spike could be carried. The main drawback is it is a daylight weapon due to its optical scene match tracking. For night use a cheap laser seeker would have to be developed.
Posted by: ed   2007-09-09 12:42  

#18  Ed, IINM the Hunter has been tested with Hellfires too. But either way .... ;-)
Posted by: lotp   2007-09-09 12:29  

#17  Could you Hover one over Congress?
Please, please, pretty please?
Posted by: Redneck Jim   2007-09-09 12:00  

#16  Militants killed by NEW US drone - Army Controlled "Hunter" Drone

~:)

OH My Gawd Lawd The Humanity!!

Oh Thank You Lawd For Protecting Us'in Humanity Types From All The Islamic Sub-Humanoid a$$holes!!
Posted by: Red Dawg   2007-09-09 11:42  

#15  The Hunter drops Viper Strike. Unfortunately, since it uses suimilar guidance method as the Hellfire, it probably costs the same ($50-70,000). What is more interesting is fitting Spike a low cost (5,000) missile, that weighs 1/10th Vipe Strike, for the majority of uses. Both Hellfire and Viper Strike cost well in excess of what it costs to raise a muslim from birth to a murderous, raping bastard. With Spike, the financial burden of the exchange is put on the other side.
Posted by: ed   2007-09-09 11:13  

#14  "surrender to the missile"
Posted by: Frank G   2007-09-09 10:37  

#13  just before impact it is programmed to broadcast:
"You have the right to remain silent!"

The ACLU insisted on this feature, btw.
Posted by: Justrand   2007-09-09 10:19  

#12  Wgt = 1600 lbs unarmed. Wingspan ~30 feet and IIRC they aren't foldable (but it's not a system I know well). Cost = ??? since they never went into full production.

Aviation branch owns all Army UAVs, having taken over that mission from Military Intel roughly 18 mos - 2 yrs ago.

The Hunter is a stop gap until the Future Combat Systems suite is deployed. And until the UCAVs reach operational readiness.
Posted by: lotp   2007-09-09 09:32  

#11  btw, What do these weigh? cost? can the entire system be dropped from a C-130 on a skid? Are they more accurate than Excalibur? Is the field artillery going to get control?
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-09-09 09:10  

#10  Under direct Army control.The significance is that is was Army flown on an offensive mission.

Yeah, but they are defenseless. Who's going to protect them? F-22's? The Army needs a Hunter UAV Military Protection (HUMP) Force of defensive aircraft that can deny the enemy the ability to down the hunter.

Heh.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-09-09 08:48  

#9  The Hunter - "The most successful cancelled procurement in Army history"

Development started in the late 80s-early 90s starting with an Israeli airframe and adding some US electronics to the systems IAI developed. Cancelled in 1996 under Billy Bob Clinton, but the Army kept the ones already made.

A little smaller than the Predator class and harder to fly (especially compared to Predator B = the Warrior class UAVs). Require a runway to take off & land. Can be armed & yes this was probably a Hellfire hit.

Under direct Army control - no need to wait for USAF air tasking orders etc. Typically controlled at the brigade level or tasked by a division commander, as it is a relatively scarce resource.

The significance here is not the platform, or arming it. The significance is that is was Army flown on an offensive mission.
Posted by: lotp   2007-09-09 08:23  

#8  The advantage of using drones might be that you can keep them in the air longer than manned aircraft, so they have more opportunity to identify targets. Any experts here?
Posted by: Apostate   2007-09-09 06:59  

#7  ooooooppppsss...

Gonna be hell on Democrats.
Posted by: Thomas Woof   2007-09-09 06:58  

#6  Target confirmation was acheived through newly developed on-board remote aerial retina scans, eyelid moisture DNA analysis, and thermal hyphothalimic blood flow signatures which have the unique ability to detect fear and loathing in upright primates.
Posted by: Thomas Woof   2007-09-09 06:57  

#5  It's just a remote-controlled airplane...it's not what I'd call a real robot. And I thought the CIA waxed terrorists via Predator years ago, is this new?
Posted by: gromky   2007-09-09 06:06  

#4  Target confirmation was acheived through newly developed on-board remote aerial retina scans, eyelid moisture DNA analysis, and thermal hyphothalimic blood flow signatures which have the unique ability to detect fear and loathing in upright primates.
Posted by: Ben Goldstien PhD   2007-09-09 05:33  

#3  I see the point, topdown view, bombs explode while soldiers shoot. I'm not sure what kind of bomb, but maybe it was a HellFire missle instead.
Posted by: Boss Craising2882   2007-09-09 03:42  

#2  I can't see the point of putting a bomb on a UAV, at least in the Iraq context. Maybe if you were attacking hardened bunkers. A rapid fire weapon would appear a much better option.
Posted by: phil_b   2007-09-09 03:12  

#1  Well, there's one robot that never heard of Issac Asimov.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-09-09 03:04  

00:00