Monday, February 15, 2016

Terminator Times #3: Will the Russian Stunt Drone Please Take its Place on the set?

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles:

The Russians are testing multicopter drones with shoulder fired anti tank weapons.

The US Navy will be releasing the draft RFP for the new unmanned tanker for their aircraft carriers later this year.  Strangely, they are retaining the RAQ-25 designation rather than changing it to a KQ-xx if it were a tanker.  It turns out a light attack and recon role will be retained.  The US Navy CNO wants the CBARS to be fielded asap.

The US Special Forces unveiled their version of the ubiquitous Reaper drone.

Israeli company, Elbit, has developed a new brigade level drone that has a operational range longer than 100 km.

Here's more info on the Turkish Anka drone's operational debut.

Syrian rebel videos corroborate the Iranian drone strikes being real.

DARPA is working on high speed, autonomous flight for drones.

The US Army is looking into counter UAV technologies.

The Israelis have developed new, loitering weapons (IE suicidal UAVs).

The US Navy's FireScout helicopter drone may get exported to Asia.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (ships & boats):

(image source: Foxtrot Alpha)

DARPA wanted to unveil its robot submarine hunter ship in April, but Foxtrot Alpha got its paws on the first known image of the robo submarine hunter.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (robo subs):

DARPA has started a new project to build a UUV with an active sonar that can work with a manned submarine.  The project is called MOCCA.

Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicles:

Singapore is starting to get into the UGCV act as well.

Artificial Intelligence:

The Pentagon and DARPA are working on AI to help deal with the enormous amount of data future soldiers will be faced with.

Should autonomous weapons be banned or regulated?

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