The age of the robot is here, especially on the battlefield. Here are a pair of videos from Aviation Week. The first shows technologies in development for ground forces. The large, four-legged creature that seems to move like a horse is actually an artificial mule designed to lug cargo around for the infantry.
The second video captures seven carrier landings by the UCV, or unmanned combat vehicle, XB-47. Note the precision achieved indicated by the nose wheel placement. Remember, this is on a moving ship with wind variations.
The carrier 'touch and goes' are cool, but the donkey bots are amazing.
ReplyDeleteHi Mound, maybe time for a F35 update
ReplyDeletehttp://gizmodo.com/inside-the-pentagons-trillion-dollar-f-35-embarrassmen-1325863089
Hey Steve. I'm keeping an eye on Sought Korea at the moment. The Defence Acquisition Board there has chosen a stealth-modified F-15 over the F-35 but there's a huge political press on to get them to relent.
ReplyDeleteActually I had thought if there was ever a place for the F-35 it was in South Korea given the nature of the threat in their own backyard. A light attack bomber makes a lot more sense in South Korea than it does in the Canadian north.
If Lockheed gets bumped by Boeing in South Korea it could spell trouble for the F-35 everywhere else. I think Lockheed would happily firesale the 35 to S. Korea except for a law that prohibits Lockheed from selling to any foreign customer at a price lower than it offers the U.S. military.
Boeing is also fielding a stealth variant of the F-18 Super Hornet. At around half the fly away cost of the 35, Boeing's approach is that the stealth 18's masking is "good enough" for the cost saving.
Hey Steve. I'm keeping an eye on Sought Korea at the moment. The Defence Acquisition Board there has chosen a stealth-modified F-15 over the F-35 but there's a huge political press on to get them to relent.
ReplyDeleteActually I had thought if there was ever a place for the F-35 it was in South Korea given the nature of the threat in their own backyard. A light attack bomber makes a lot more sense in South Korea than it does in the Canadian north.
If Lockheed gets bumped by Boeing in South Korea it could spell trouble for the F-35 everywhere else. I think Lockheed would happily firesale the 35 to S. Korea except for a law that prohibits Lockheed from selling to any foreign customer at a price lower than it offers the U.S. military.
Boeing is also fielding a stealth variant of the F-18 Super Hornet. At around half the fly away cost of the 35, Boeing's approach is that the stealth 18's masking is "good enough" for the cost saving.
I dunno. That XB-47 thing would impress me more if they'd given it brakes.
ReplyDelete