Originally appeared at ZeroHedge
The US Marine Corps is in the process of acquiring portable ground-launched kamikaze drones capable of swarming over the modern battlefield to precisely takeout enemy troops, according to a new government notice.
The request was published on the government contract site Sam.Gov last month. The Marines detailed the need for an “individually operated, man-portable, anti-materiel, anti-personnel ground-launched loitering munition system” for fielding with infantry units.
Sam.Gov Request
The so-called “Organic Precision Fires – Infantry Light” program seeks a ground-launched drone that can be deployed with less than two troops. The request states other requirements, including it must have a range up to 12.4 miles, “capable of swarming,” and must operate for at least 90 minutes.
According to Defense News, the Marines are attempting to “reshape itself as a primarily maritime force that can distribute forces over a massive battlefield such as the South China Sea, operating inside the Chinese weapon engagement zone that may be too dangerous for many military assets to operate inside until certain key objectives can be seized or neutralized.”
AeroVironment Switchblade Drone
Bryan Clark, a retired submarine officer and senior fellow at The Hudson Institute, pointed out special operation forces have already used small munition drones in combat.
“The swarming idea would be, ‘How do I overwhelm the enemy’s defenses and cut off lines of escape,'” Clark explained. “If I’m a Marine unit, I’m generally going after a group of people, not just one or two guys the way SOF might be. But the idea here is to cause an area effect. You want to overwhelm defenses or cause explosions over a wider area to try and herd your adversary or cut off lines of retreat.
“You might create a blast pattern or detonate in some kind of order that herds your adversary into an area that you want to be a kill box. So, swarming for the Marine Corps would be about driving your enemy’s behavior in ways advantageous to yourself.”
Dakota Wood, a retired Marine and analyst with The Heritage Foundation, said in some ways small munition drones could be more effective than .50 caliber machine weapons.
AI-powered swarming munition drones could become the most effective weapon to takeout the enemy on the modern battlefield.
“You are looking for weapon systems that can maximize the effectiveness of finding and eliminating a target while minimizing the logistical burden on the unit,” he said. “And you want to maximize the range and any intelligence that system can deliver to you.
“If I have a .50 cal: Hugely heavy, massive logistics burden to carry around the ammo, its very effective on target but I got to get it on target first, and it’s certainly revealing my position. If I have a man-portable unmanned system that I can launch with a camera, it’s small in size so its detectability is reduced, it can send that information back to the unit and it can also hit a target with great precision: That’s an awesome capability to have.”
In 2019, Russia’s Kalashnikov Group, a Rostec subsidiary, unveiled a new high-precision suicide drone, called the KYB UAV.
KYB UAV Drone
KYB UAV Drone Approaches Target
We’ve also noted how an Israeli defense contractor a couple of years back faced allegations that it live tested a high tech suicide drone against Armenian troops in an active battle zone.
What’s becoming evident is that the modern battlefield is rapidly transforming into a high-tech arena where small drones dominate.
China has them for 15 years
Too late for anyone to catch up to them
Maybe not at drones but at cold fusion it might be, if Skunk works doesn’t put their reactor online really fast.
Hopefully against BLM and Antifa faglets.
but..but.. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/720f301224564f3c9482e0324e3137b1a4332029edc6289ffeedafaca2c77a9f.jpg
Well, and the fascists in US will have long years ahead to suffer a lot! “Proud Boys” will come back to their parents house?
Despite i Don´t agree with Biden “Heal the Nation” notion. I Think he should crackdown the Republicans and Fascists of America… Smash their necks… If the Senate turn Democrat then it´s complete… The White Nazi faction of American Prison Gangs will grow up a Lot! The Latinos and Black Gangs will start to complain…
Like the 16 Michigan fascists jailed for their “democratic rights” of burning the Parliament of the State… Lot of Years in prison for them…
EMP
This Weapon already exists…It´s called Nuclear Missile! Just explode a Nuclear Weapon at certain altitude… A Single Warhead at some kilometers could take away all the Electronic infrastructure of US, Europe, China or Russia… Just like the “Hypersonic” Hype…this weapon already exists, since the 1959, it called ICBM, SLBM, maybe 25000 km/per hour isn´t enough for be called Hypersonic though!
ABMs are all flawed. Waste of Public Money, no novelty. See the Patriots, THAAD, etc. They Didn´t impede Houthis or North Koreans launching their ballistic missiles… SM BLOCKs is a excellent family of weapons, an attack weapon, not a defense one! Probably the best cost-benefit substitute to the ageing Minutemans of US in terms of ICBM, but the MIC again try to invent the wheel! No ICBM without a pre-know route was ever intercepted… I think that the Russians and Chinese will not get the their routes to the US… Aegis, Aegis Ashore, all flawed… And the cost of defense is much but much larger than the cost of attack… Russia uses the “threat” to boost it´s military, instead of taking social care measures in a country with a large problem with poverty and inequality. Everyone Lies!
To liberate Portland?
? no chance. it s a fortress with elite troops https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/58688a8e1f09c02df1f03814f0c53a3a78a45dd8e10672bfdea38315455e7b22.jpg
Do they have air defense against drones?
this is a good article to give a heads up as to the current discussion in this area but, folks it seems my alma mater is driving through the rear view window. For instance, Russia has repeatedly demonstrated that when they deem it to be to their liking, they just shut the sky down to drones. They have done it repeatedly in Syria, they have recently done it on behalf of Armenia. The counter measures are becoming well established, partially thanks to Turkish efforts, in their frequent use. It is not too dissimilar to having unveiled the King Tiger tank to stop a bank robbery in ´early´ 1944 ( a bit too much bang for the buck ). Further, the US didn´t help the situation in favor of the drone swarms, when it was caught munipulating them in an effort to attack the main Russian airbase in Syria.
My point is that drone swarms have been out there, they have been amply used and they have been amply defeated, while also taking into account that sometimes they work.. The mystery for me is, for what reason is the USMC putting out this drivel about going that way now? My take, I wish well to all.
Good EW is very effective against drones on a tactical level as demonstrated in Donbas and Syria, a more extreme locust like formation can be dealt with conventional EMP as well.
Drone this , drone that…”U.S. MARINE CORPS WANT” that somebody else fight their battles by “swarming” the enemy. At this stage of development, high tech can’t completely replace cojones=balls and eagerness to fight and even get killed if need be…
In Nagorno-Karabakh, Azeri kamikaze drones depleted Armenian “forces” But Russia everyday takes down kamikaze drones in Hmeymin, Syria. A lot of times in Swarm formation…
For a good Air defense it means nothing…but for countries with less money to spend, Kamikaze weapons could be a good thing: this means problems for US and NATO warmongers, like the Houthis shows in Yemen. It will be more difficult to them make war in small countries… Just like the IEDs wiped out the ass of Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan… Cheap and efficient… But in the “Great Game”, the Big Weapons will continue to be who rules…
By the Way, always remember to Say: When Trump will be jailed for Sediction and the other thousands crimes he have committed? In 2021 or 2022? Will he ask for asylum is Israel or Russia? Goodbye Trump! Goodbye Republican party, soon to been torn apart…
+3000 Americans dying dailly by the Covid19 and the Moron are making Sediction attempts. I have no doubt that many American Generals/CIA/NSA/FBI have a lot of wish to take Trump in handcuffs! SORE LOSERS!