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The US Air Force is developing bug-sized drones that will be able to fly, crawl, perch and hover while performing unprecedented surveillance tasks and carrying out deadly targeted missions.

The new project has been shown in a promotional video released by the US Air Force Research Laboratory. Its Air Vehicles Directorate is developing the Micro Air Vehicles (MAVs) that it claims “will become a vital element in the ever-changing war-fighting environment and will help ensure success on the battlefield of the future.”

"Unobtrusive, pervasive, lethal – Micro Air Vehicles, enhancing the capabilities of the future war fighter," says the video.

The tiny drones will be able to enter inaccessible locations using new forms of navigation such as a vision-based technique called “optic flow,” which can be used when traditional methods like GPS are unavailable.

Most importantly some MAVs may perform direct attack missions, becoming a lethal surprise for unsuspecting targets. “It could be equipped with incapacitating chemicals, combustible payloads, or even explosives or precision-targeting capability.”

The video also describes multiple MAVs deployed for "swarm operations" to survey large areas with information using their combined sensors. “Data will be communicated amongst the MAVs to enable real time, reliable decision-making and to provide an overall surveillance picture for other platforms or operators.”

The project, which was originally revealed in the March issue of National Geographic, is based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

Tiny remote-control prototypes have already been developed. However, due to high power consumption they can only operate for a few minutes.

Screenshot from Air Force Research Laboratory video

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koraks said:

Disturbing, yes, from an ethical viewpoint.
Fascinating too, from a technical viewpoint.
So what's the direction you want to take the discussion in? I guess you'll need to pick one, otherwise one of the mods will come by and lock things

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Mush 4 Brains said:

Remember how the US back in the day considered spraying Castro before or during one of his speeches with lsd in hopes of making people think he had lost his mind?

Well imagine one of these little drones flying through your open window at night.  It finds you, sprays your ass down with lsd while asleep and then takes off out the window.

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lol

Quote:

developing

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Visionary Tools said:

The disscussion ought to be:

What's best, broad spectum Radio jamming, or targeted RF disruption?

For the latter, you'd have to find out the range of frequencies they are using.

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