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2012-07-22 India-Pakistan

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Posted by Fred 2012-07-22 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11138 views ] Top
File under: Govt of Pakistan

#1 Am I the only one, or does anyone else say to themselves "Drones are not exactly 'rocket science' - any more than are model airplanes - which is basically what a drone aircraft emulates. The day may not be not so far away when a 'remote control model airplane" with some C4 or Semtex mounted aboard, plus a mobile phone detonator, takes out some self-important politician at a campaign appearance, or during a motorcade. Perhaps instigated by foreign 'freedom fighters' - but maybe just as likely orchestrated by disaffected domestic perpetrators. How long before all radio signals - that's everything - are blocked within, oh - let's say one mile - of a HIGH government official's movement or appearances - anywhere and everywhere? It will just take the first serious REC drone assassination attempt to change policies drastically. The US let this particular genie out of this bottle - and may come to rue that day. RC drones can even pursue ex-government politicians, after they leave office.

With no actual pre-knowledge, I predict a Hollywood thriller along some similar plot line with 18 months.

Meanwhile, the TSA is still making us all take off our shoes.

Posted by Lone Ranger 2012-07-22 02:23|| 2012-07-22 02:23|| Front Page Top

#2 Drones are not exactly 'rocket science'

No. It's computer science---without software it is just a model airplane.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2012-07-22 04:18|| 2012-07-22 04:18|| Front Page Top

#3 If the UN wants to stop whining and come up with a better plan for stopping terrorism that don't involve fairie dust and unicorns, I'm sure we're all ears.

Posted by Perfesser 2012-07-22 06:23|| 2012-07-22 06:23|| Front Page Top

#4 Among the deeply MSM buried items is this little thing -

S.J.RES.23 -- Authorization for Use of Military Force (Enrolled Bill [Final as Passed Both House and Senate] - ENR)

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This joint resolution may be cited as the `Authorization for Use of Military Force'.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) IN GENERAL- That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements-

(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.

(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.

It's never been repealed.

Posted by Procopius2k 2012-07-22 07:51|| 2012-07-22 07:51|| Front Page Top

#5 My father has been flying RC model airplanes since the late 1960s. They've been around a long time.

You could do everything you wanted to do with today's airplanes, with one condition: line of sight. The transmitters are much smaller than they used to be, the equipment is very reliable, the planes, engines and radios are positively cheap these days, and you can control planes from hand-size to very, very large.

So you could fly a RC-model plane into a target as long as you, the target and the plane are all in line of sight. And you can do it for under $200. But you have to be out there directing the plane into the target, and that means you're going to be visible. If you don't mind that you're good to go.

Posted by Steve White 2012-07-22 09:14|| 2012-07-22 09:14|| Front Page Top

#6 Steve,

How heavy a load could your typical RC model carry? Is 1 or 2lbs possible?

Can you control, if you're good, an RC from a moving vehicle?

Thx.

Posted by AlanC 2012-07-22 09:47|| 2012-07-22 09:47|| Front Page Top

#7 Nothing in the drones actually being used (i.e. Predator drones) are all that sophisticated. They're not stealthy, not autonomous... they're not taking off from somewhere else and forcibly invading Pakistan's airspace, they're taking off from Pakistan and operating with the cooperation of the Pakistani government.

They're somewhat less robust than Vietnam-era manned planes.

It's just that if we used OV-1's and OV-10's they couldn't pretend it's a super-advanced piece of technology and there's nothing they could do about it.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-07-22 09:48|| 2012-07-22 09:48|| Front Page Top

#8 Partly true, Snowy. Predators are semi-autonomous and operate by default via 3 dimensional waypoint path definitions onto which the navigational system keeps the craft aligned. Beyond the navigation system are the sensor and comms packages as well as the power systems that keep the craft aloft for significant periods of time.

Posted by lotp 2012-07-22 10:24|| 2012-07-22 10:24|| Front Page Top

#9 you, the target and the plane are all in line of sight.

Line of sight can (and does) include a satellite, which works as long as you can deal with the time lag. Another option which shortens that time lag is using an airborne control basw or relay station to nearby ground base.
As Doc says, you can put mini-drones in the air for $200 now. That makes them cheaper than many artillery shells. Arm them with a shotgun shell size grenade and fly them, kamikaze-style, into the person you wish to kill - or even wound, in a specific body part. Groin shots might qualify as war crimes...

Posted by Glenmore 2012-07-22 10:26|| 2012-07-22 10:26|| Front Page Top

#10 I know about all that; they can navigate through reasonably-well-controlled airspace autonomously, but they're not autonomous in the sense of an aircraft with a pilot can be considered to be. I'd offer as counterexample the drone the Iranians captured intact from GPS spoofing.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-07-22 10:38|| 2012-07-22 10:38|| Front Page Top

#11 Or whatever method they used. The GPS spoofing bit is speculation and whatever method they really used is not public at this time.

My main point is, they pretend the Predators are more advanced than they really are as a way of pretending they aren't cooperating with US efforts.

But OTOH they allow the drones to kill a couple dozen mooks a week to provide us with the illusion that they're on our side while they're (for instance) supporting the Taliban with logistics, hiding Bin Laden, and dozens of other things we don't know about.

Posted by Thing From Snowy Mountain 2012-07-22 10:44|| 2012-07-22 10:44|| Front Page Top

#12 Of course drones are legal. The FAA has authorized 106 separate Federal and State agencies to use them.

Somehow, people have forgotten these wise words: Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country.

And these: War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.

Posted by Eric Jablow 2012-07-22 10:45|| 2012-07-22 10:45|| Front Page Top

#13 I wonder will there be a U.N. report advocating arresting the South African president for encouraging ethnic cleansing of whites.

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2012-07-22 11:52|| 2012-07-22 11:52|| Front Page Top

#14 "While Zuma can afford to listen, he cannot afford to hear, because he knows that he cannot possibly meet the expectations he has raised."

Professor Jane Duncan, Rhodes University

Posted by Besoeker 2012-07-22 12:29|| 2012-07-22 12:29|| Front Page Top

#15 Now that's just silly, #13 BP. :-(

Posted by Barbara 2012-07-22 12:45|| 2012-07-22 12:45|| Front Page Top

#16 The day may not be not so far away when a 'remote control model airplane" with some C4 or Semtex mounted aboard...

That can be done now, some of the bigger quad and hexi-rotor craft can carry a kilo or more of 'payload'. Plus, they have cameras, and, they are damn near silent during an idle state descent.

How heavy a load could your typical RC model carry? Is 1 or 2lbs possible?

Can you control, if you're good, an RC from a moving vehicle?

Yes and yes! We've had R/C cross-country flying events in Texas for close to twenty years. Take off at one field, fly to and land at another. Typically three fields are used, the route is a big triangle. Pilots and spotters in chase vehicles. For a little over 5 years, there has even been some degree of semi-autonomy.

Put the craft on a heading, let it fly itself, drive like hell to an intercept point, retake control for approach and landing.

Posted by Secret Asian Man 2012-07-22 12:58|| 2012-07-22 12:58|| Front Page Top

#17 I seem to remember in paleoland a cessna-type two seater rigged for remote control and a video camera transmission for sight.

But isn't that the trick, secure and reliable communication?

Posted by swksvolFF 2012-07-22 16:07|| 2012-07-22 16:07|| Front Page Top

#18 Ummm, you could consider a bomb dropped from a plane a drone, till it hits.

Posted by Redneck Jim 2012-07-22 22:25|| 2012-07-22 22:25|| Front Page Top

#19 As long as you have cellular data service you don't need line of sight.

Just put a 3G or 4G Android or I-Phone on the RC plane and control it over the internet.

Done.

Posted by Water Modem 2012-07-22 22:26|| 2012-07-22 22:26|| Front Page Top

00:01 JosephMendiola
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