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10 Things You Didn't Know About Drones

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posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 03:44 PM
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1. The first armed drones were created to get Osama bin Laden.

2. So far, drones tend to crash.

3. Drones are coming to America.

4. The scope of U.S. military drone missions is expanding…

5. …But not as fast as civilian uses.

6. Most military drones don't bomb.

7. Attack drones require more boots on the ground.

8. Drones are becoming a lethal weapon of choice, but nobody's in charge.

9. Other countries are catching up to the United States.

10. The drone future is already here.

The Pentagon now boasts a fleet of approximately 7,500 drones, up from just 50 a decade ago. According to a congressional report, "manned aircraft have gone from 95% of all [Defense Department] aircraft in 2005 to 69% today." Over the next decade, the Pentagon expects the number of "multirole" drones -- ones that can both spy and strike -- to nearly quadruple, to 536. In 2011, the Teal Group consulting firm estimated that worldwide spending on unmanned aerial vehicles will nearly double over the next decade from $5.9 billion to $11.3 billion annually. In the future, drones are projected to: hover just behind infantry soldiers to watch their backs; carry airborne lasers to intercept ballistic missiles; perform aerial refueling; and conduct long-range strategic bombing missions. Given that drones will become cheaper, smaller, faster, stealthier, more lethal, and more autonomous, it is harder to imagine what they won't do than what they will. Whatever limits drones face will be imposed by us humans -- not technology.


Details for each bullet found here: www.foreignpolicy.com...,0

My takeaway is to expect more unarmed drones for war-use and spying by foreign powers; though the biggest influx of drones will come to western countries and will be operated by private companies that will likely end up in more crashes with ensuing lawsuits.

Is anyone surprised by this news?


edit on 27-2-2012 by Jason88 because: added pic



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 03:49 PM
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Funny thing about "Things you didn't know" thread or articles is that I always know over half of the things listed.



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 03:52 PM
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reply to post by Carseller4
 


Me too. I think its the nature of the ATS crowd, we're just a little more informed. This one did get me though, it takes more people to "service" a drone than an F-16. Wow!


7. Attack drones require more boots on the ground. Most unmanned aircraft flown by the U.S. military require not just a ground-based "pilot," but also a platoon of surveillance analysts (approximately 19 per drone), sensor operators, and a maintenance crew. Some 168 people are required to keep a Predator drone aloft -- and 180 for its larger cousin, the Reaper -- compared with roughly 100 people for an F-16 fighter jet. To keep up with the demand, the Air Force has trained more drone operators than pilots for the past two years. The upside is that, according to the Congressional Budget Office, drones "are usually less expensive than manned aircraft" ($15 million for a Global Hawk versus about $55 million for a new F-16), though costly sensors and excessive crashes can negate the difference.


Edit for Carseller4, I am surprised you have D.A.D quote! Such a random band, I was listening to "Sleeping my day away" earlier today.
edit on 27-2-2012 by Jason88 because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 03:54 PM
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reply to post by Jason88
 


drones are cheap in that you can want one to patrol an area and it will take off/patrol the area and do whats needed and land all without paying a pilots wage and the other basic things in long term watching over some area like the need to poop etc and if they get shot down theres no one to risk make them the ideal military tool



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 03:58 PM
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What does it cost to get my own personal protection drone?



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:00 PM
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I need another top ten list on ATS like I need another worthless ATS recap video.



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:01 PM
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reply to post by Rexamus
 


US $300. That's it. Source: ardrone.parrot.com...

Personal flying drones are here: should we be concerned?

But Mike Kolier, for one, is worried about implications we may have not even fully considered yet. Celebrities are the first mark, likely by paparazzi drones, but there may be all kinds of issues for the rest of us, privacy and otherwise. “The idea of citizens having their own ‘personal drone’ to ‘keep an eye on things’ is to me a sure sign that the apocalypse is nearly here,” he writes.


Source (weirdly this is an IBM publication): www.smartplanet.com...



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:03 PM
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reply to post by Jason88
 

Hehe you beat me to it. Everyone thinks a drone only needs 1 pilot.

Another fact. Drones cost between several million and a hundred million plus depending on model and options. The figure I saw was an operational (remote) ground crew of 16 to fly the stupid things and that's not counting the boots on the ground in the area of operations. This is how they cut back on personnel I guess.

I think they estimated the cost of flying one at $30,000 plus an hour.



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:05 PM
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reply to post by amongus
 


Touché. Though this is one of my topics of interest (others too) - drones. And I learned something, so say what you will but at least it's not another the "sky is falling" post. Well maybe it is... just based in reality, with a drone landing on your head.

edit on 27-2-2012 by Jason88 because: (no reason given)



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:07 PM
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these goons just weren't satisfied with starfox.. they have to blow snip up.



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:18 PM
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What I dont know but what I would really like to know is, where I can buy one.



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 04:21 PM
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reply to post by Jason88
 


Wow that is relatively cheap! I will have that thing hovering over my butt all day everyday protecting me



posted on Feb, 27 2012 @ 10:40 PM
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Originally posted by Rexamus
What does it cost to get my own personal protection drone?


It costs nothing if this drone is bio-organic with your own personality and soul implanted into it



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 07:10 AM
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reply to post by Jason88
 

Well, they're certainly something we will see being used more often..

As most are aware, the USAF & RAF are being pushed into unmanned flight programs in the interest of saving money and lives, amongst other things.

However, it hasn’t gone according to plan so far and UAV's are actually costing more than manned flight programs.


According to the CBP Inspector General, the costs of operating a UAV are more than double the costs of operating a manned aircraft.


Source: PDF



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 02:29 PM
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reply to post by Jason88
 


Interesting points-Although technically the first drones were used by Hitler to attack London.


Check out this drone -Taranis,by BAE systems.


www.airforce-technology.com...

That drone can determine and discriminate its own ground targets-USING SOFTWARE.
It can stay airbourne for days,fly itself,collect data itself and probably fire missiles itself(although they say this will have to be given the nod from a human).

Bit too "skynet" for me I think..




posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 02:31 PM
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Originally posted by Silcone Synapse
reply to post by Jason88
 


Interesting points-Although technically the first drones were used by Hitler to attack London.


Check out this drone -Taranis,by BAE systems.


www.airforce-technology.com...

That drone can determine and discriminate its own ground targets-USING SOFTWARE.
It can stay airbourne for days,fly itself,collect data itself and probably fire missiles itself(although they say this will have to be given the nod from a human).

Bit too "skynet" for me I think..



I thought that American Reapers were already doing this automatically?



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 02:36 PM
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reply to post by Dimitri Dzengalshlevi
 


Maybe,but Taranis can stay in the air for longer I think.
It can also:

defend itself against manned and other unmanned enemy aircraft.

www.airforce-technology.com...

One smart and deadly robot..



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 02:41 PM
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No reapers require a man in the loop in order to fire a missile. For now anyway.the process for calling in a reaper or predator strike



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 02:53 PM
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Hey Mr. F-35 pilot, your aircraft is ancient technology that is dangerous to both you and the security of the USA. There is no need to put you flyboys in aircraft anymore. Stop feeling so cool in your jumpsuit and man your joystick at home so you can dogfight and bomb for the remaining natural resources left on earth.
Wait, no, we have an autanomous computer program to replace you. You are fired.
edit on 28-2-2012 by earthdude because: read up



posted on Feb, 28 2012 @ 08:36 PM
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reply to post by Jason88
 


I posted some information about this on another site and people treated me like I was nuts. You can find video of the swarms of these things being designed by the military and it is downright eerie watching them.
Years ago I heard about one on Paul Harvey news that was like a caterpillar only it was artificial and was able to creep into your home and literally look like a bug on the wall. There is also word out on the street that they are getting close to creating swarms of artificial "bees". You need to remember too that the technology is always well advanced from what you are told. Who knows what they have now?



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