Army UAV Makes First Confirmed Kills
According to the official Multi-National Force website, the U.S. Army's newest UAV has made two confirmed kills in Iraq. The Armed Warrior Alpha Unmanned Aerial System fired its missiles for the first time recently, and two insurgents were neutralized in the process.
The ground team responsible for the Warrior Alpha is comprised of Staff Sergeant Jerry Rhoades, Corporal Phillip Cheng and Specialist James Pegg. Traditionally, the team and their drone are strictly reconnaissance. Whenever the drone would spot enemy activity, an air strike or helicopter would be called in to finish the job. In this case, the drone was surveillance two insurgents who started attacking nearby coalition troops on the ground.
The ground crew and UAV are part of the ODIN unit in Iraq. ODIN is a formerly classified unit that combines manned and unmanned surveillance planes and helicopters to track down and destroy IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).
“Say we see someone emplacing IEDs,” said SSgt. Rhoades. “If we can see it, our customer can see it, and they can call in a team to diffuse it - but that puts ground troops in harm’s way. If we have Hellfires [missiles] on board, we can get authorization, take out the whole emplacement, and no ground troops get injured.”
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been in combat for the last several years. Besides the CIA using Predator UAVs for remote airstrikes in Afghanistan, their duty has been strictly reconnaissance - until now. Now that the Warrior Alpha has proved itself in combat, regular use of such UAVs in offensive and defensive capacities is more likely. Anything that will keep more ground troops out of harms way is a welcome idea to the armed forces.
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*insert Terminator Hunter-Killer" comments now*
one day closer to the day when machines take over the world.
Compare how this aircraft looks to the aircraft in the Terminator movies and ask yourself this question...
Did the science fiction spur the technology or did the technology spur the science fiction?
i just miss the days where people killed each other for land or arguments over policies. Now they kill for religious glory.
THAT is what saddens me. This leads to guerrilla warfare and ultimately to robot assassins like in the above article.
I don't really know what to think anymore...
You mean defuse?
More power to the eye in the sky I say, if they are bad guys doing bad things, fire away. Save the energy, time and danger it takes the troops to go after them.
Its funny but isn't a missle that is self guided a UAV?
It's not "one day closer to the day when machines take over the world."
It's one day closer to the day when evil men take over the world.
i always thought using UAV's or any remote controlled unit was against the so called "rules of war" as one side doesn't take any accusal casualties
Its funny but isn't a missle that is self guided a UAV?
I don't think so since a vehicle is commonly defined to be a means of transportation or able to carry some sort of payload. The missile isn't carrying a payload - it is the payload.
Hmm.. them pilots are probably thinking "Well damn, if this goes any further say goodbye to our jobs.. we'll be demoted to watching a screen to make sure it don't make a mistake"
This is why I am applying for Basic infantry, because you can't replace that
This is great news. Anything that helps eliminate extremists, determined to harm others in the name of their perverted religion.
This is a YouTube video of two terrorists killed by a UAV last year. I think the US has being using drones to kill since 2004.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoVdlADd_qE
i just miss the days where people killed each other for land or arguments over policies. Now they kill for religious glory. THAT is what saddens me. This leads to guerrilla warfare and ultimately to robot assassins like in the above article. I don't really know what to think anymore...
um... ever heard of the crusade? I believe that wars over religion probably pre-date wars over "policies". Read up on your history sometime.
A hellfire missile to remove 2 ennemies? At $50k-$70k each it's no wonder we have budget problems!! Can't it just lob a couple of grenades at a few $ for the same result?
A hellfire missile to remove 2 enemies? At $50k-$70k each it's no wonder we have budget problems!! Can't it just lob a couple of grenades at a few $ for the same result?
"A hellfire missile to remove 2 enemies? At $50k-$70k each it's no wonder we have budget problems!! Can't it just lob a couple of grenades at a few $ for the same result?"
Dude, you're Grenades is still expensive. I'd say shoot them with a bow and arrow, it's way cheaper. Or a rock to the head will do the trick.
correction your grenades not you're. I'm a bit brain dead atm
Wait another 5 years until they get equipped with laser weapons.
Hmm.. them pilots are probably thinking "Well damn, if this goes any further say goodbye to our jobs.. we'll be demoted to watching a screen to make sure it don't make a mistake"This is why I am applying for Basic infantry, because you can't replace that
these things still use pilots in remote buildings. the thing is the enemy could hack in to the wireless communications and turn our own weapons against us.
Wars happen for a number of reasons. Some Wars have even been started to exterminate Religion and most of the worst Genocides on Earth have been in the name of Freedom from Religion. I'll begin with Stalin as a prime example and move on through the past to the present to show that Liberal Extermination of Religion has done just as much harm to society as any Religous War and may even have done more. We all share the blame and no matter your view understand that great injustices have been done in that view. From Holy War to Communist Revolution to the French Revolution we all should study history and understand that we are about to repeat it.
Nowadays the army can kill and go to war from the comfort of their own base huh? Just like flying a really dangerous remote controlled plane..
Do they put this thing to work in Afghanistan? If it can search bin laden and kill him, i'm all for it..
pawned
"neutralized"...
what a cold way to describe something as violent and horrible as murder, no matter for what cause and in what context.
Neutralized?
Killed.
I hate euphemisms. Let's tell it the way it is.
“I'd say shoot them with a bow and arrow, it's way cheaper. Or a rock to the head will do the trick.”
While the enemy is firing bullets and rockets … Bring on the body bags or order even more of those expensive UAVs. Ladies and gents, This is war. It’s a lot of things but,
It’s not polite.
It’s not cheap.
It’s not safe.
It’s not pleasant.
You find a way to fight smarter and harder or go home in a bag. Anything that will safely bring home someone’s son, daughter, father, mother, or neighbor should be utilized to the fullest extent. What price would you place on a life?
What price would you place on a life?
Current US army price for an Iraqi civillian killed is on average $2500 www.inthesetimes.com.
So i'd say the price of a life is ~$2500, who am I to argue with the Pentagon?
If we've spent a trillion dollars killing a million Iraqis, wouldn't that be a million dollars an Iraqi? I'm sure you could hire gang members in Los Angeles to do it for far less than that, especially if you can negotiate a bulk discount.
"neutralized"...what a cold way to describe something as violent and horrible as murder, no matter for what cause and in what context.
Violent & Horrible? I don't know how instant death by a large missile is exactly Violent and Horrible,especially when you consider those fuckers wanted to kill people in the double digits. Those people would of likely gotten less than a second to live,but the victims of the IED would of likely suffered for hours.
What is the first law of robotics????????
A hellfire missile to remove 2 ennemies? At $50k-$70k each it's no wonder we have budget problems!! Can't it just lob a couple of grenades at a few $ for the same result?
A soldier takes gunfire, gets injured.
Medical bills, $100,000.
Damaged equipment, $1000.
Trip to and from foriegn land including expenses for housing/food/medical care, $10,000.
Mental and physical for life, $100,000.
Soldier dies.
Life insurance for his family left behind, $100,000,000.
Funeral costs, flag, burial clothing, $10,000.
Medal of honor/valor or what have you, $10 each.
There's a lot of things in life money can't buy...
But there's an actual monetary value given to each American soldier's life.