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2006-12-03 Science & Technology

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Posted by Anonymoose 2006-12-03 11:42|| || Front Page|| [11136 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 IIUC, the muslim world taken as a whole has four times more men in fighting age than the West does. This is the kind of tech that could level this gap if Hell should ever break lose.

Posted by anonymous5089 2006-12-03 11:48|| 2006-12-03 11:48|| Front Page Top

#2 I see the next aviation revolution as being in using vast numbers of Predator-or-smaller-sized UAVs that in mass production have about the cost of an automobile.

Flown in mass, they could easily establish air superiority by sheer numbers; overwhelm and destroy SAM defenses; be used like GPS guided buzz bombs; even jam a very large area's broadcast traffic.

If they are going to be used as buzz bombs, I can imagine them being made from the cheapest possible materials, guided by a inexpensive electronic brain and servo motor to pull its guidance wires. The shell might even be made of thick hard plastic, except in high temperature areas.

Posted by Anonymoose 2006-12-03 13:30|| 2006-12-03 13:30|| Front Page Top

#3 But there is a downside Anonymoose. Telling a girl "I'm a combat pilot" will get you an answer "I don't date video geeks".

Posted by gromgoru 2006-12-03 17:16|| 2006-12-03 17:16|| Front Page Top

#4 You're not too far off Anonymoose. Think cheap, easy to mass produce composite attack UAVs. Polecat

Manpower differentials are not meaningful when we can inflict 200 to 1 casualty ratios such as during Gulf Wars I & II. Think what we can inflict when the PC restraints are gone.

Posted by ed 2006-12-03 19:09|| 2006-12-03 19:09|| Front Page Top

#5 Think what we can inflict when the PC restraints are gone.

Yup, ed, the biggest technology breakthrough required is changing a few synapses. We already have sufficient firepower.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-12-03 20:33|| 2006-12-03 20:33|| Front Page Top

#6 With the current costs of bombs and missiles I like the idea of printing custom ones for custom tasks. It could be a massive cost savings.

Imagine an arms depot that consists of 3d printers, power, explosives, sintering material, engines and coumputer modules.
Talk about demand inventory!
one link to 3d aerospace printing discussion

Posted by 3dc 2006-12-03 21:00|| 2006-12-03 21:00|| Front Page Top

#7 Linky no worky, 3dc.

Posted by Zenster">Zenster 2006-12-03 23:08|| 2006-12-03 23:08|| Front Page Top

#8 "Four times more men in fighting age" - but like the Russkis, are dying before or during their Middle Age. What Socialism's Wars didn't kill off, Socialism in peacetime is, even in IRAN > STRATEGYPAGE > Iranian women stopped having babies/kids.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2006-12-03 23:47|| 2006-12-03 23:47|| Front Page Top

#9 Manpower differentials are not meaningful when we can inflict 200 to 1 casualty ratios such as during Gulf Wars I & II

Most of GWI's were from Saddam's lucky shot on that one base after the war was pretty much over.

Most of GWII's are from low blows and decisions in favor of being PC.

If the gloves come off, it will be interesting indeed.

Posted by gorb 2006-12-03 23:49|| 2006-12-03 23:49|| Front Page Top

#10 Why don't we make the Polecat out of clear plastic? Who says it has to be opaque? It would be even harder to see, and a maintenance dream! :-)

Posted by gorb 2006-12-03 23:52|| 2006-12-03 23:52|| Front Page Top

12:04 Icerigger
11:13 Icerigger
23:59 JosephMendiola
23:52 gorb
23:52 USN,Ret
23:49 gorb
23:47 JosephMendiola
23:37 USN,Ret
23:33 gromky
23:28 USN,Ret
23:24 USN,Ret
23:22 USN,Ret
23:17 Zenster
23:15 ex-lib
23:14 CrazyFool
23:11 ex-lib
23:08 Zenster
23:05 ex-lib
23:04 Anonymoose
22:50 Old Patriot
22:49 Anonymoose
22:41 phil_b
22:41 Zenster
22:40 rjschwarz