New airships to protect British troops

[Studeo]

A £350m contract's been awarded to American military contractor Northrop Grumman, one of the world's largest defence companies.

The deal will see three Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicles (LEMV) built for the US Army within 18 months and ready for operations by early 2012.

The LEMV's will be able to endure a small amount of small arms fire They will be able to stay in the air for up to three weeks at a time and provide what designers describe as an "unblinking eye" of surveillance for forces on the ground.

Airship facts
Continue reading the main story Able to stay in the air for three weeks
Capable of withstanding small arms fire
No crew
Operates at 20,000 feet
Flies at speeds of up to 80 knots (around 90mph)
Alan Metzger is in charge of the project.

He said: "There won't be any gaps in the data that gets sent back down to the troops on the ground.

"I don't know of anything that comes close to that at the moment that can stay in the air for up to three weeks at a time."

Bosses also say the LEMV's skin, a mixture of tough materials and Kevlar (often used in body armour), will be able to withstand a reasonable amount of small arms fire from Taliban fighters on the ground.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/10611420

[Elandiel BernElve]

The British have also concstructed a new unmanned vehicle.
It's a technical beauty if you tell me. A shame it will be used for warfare...

source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/7885818/Long-range-Taranis-drone-unveiled.html

Named Taranis, after the Celtic god of thunder, the £142.5 million prototype has been dubbed the ''pinnacle'' of British engineering and aeronautical design.
It is the size of a light aircraft and has been equipped with advanced stealth technology making it virtually undetectable.
Almost invisible to ground radar, it is designed to travel at high jet speeds and cover massive distances between continents.
The plane is built to carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance on enemy territory using onboard sensors.
And it has been designed to carry a cache of weapons - including bombs and missiles -, giving it a potential long-range strike capability.
It can be controlled from anywhere in the world with satellite communications.
Experts say the cutting-edge design is at the forefront of world technology and as advanced as any US development.
Gerald Howarth, Minister for International Security Strategy, said: ''Taranis is a truly trailblazing project.
''The first of its kind in the UK, it reflects the best of our nation's advanced design and technology skills and is a leading programme on the global stage.''
The prototype will test the possibility of developing the first ever autonomous stealthy Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle.
Should such systems be brought into service, they would be under the control of highly trained military crews on the ground.
The model was created by the MoD along with engineering firms BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.
Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of BAE Systems' Programmes and Support business, said: ''Taranis has been three and a half years in the making and is the product of more than a million man-hours.
''It represents a significant step forward in this country's fast-jet capability. This technology is key to sustaining a strong industrial base and to maintain the UK's leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation.''
The jet was unveiled at a ceremony at BAE Systems in Warton, Lancashire.
Flight trials are due to start next year.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/07/12/article-0-0A69FEDA000005DC-668_634x406.jpg

[Studeo]

Thank you Eladiel. It's quickly becoming apparent that we are reaching a point where the human component in war is becoming obsolete. Very scary IMO.

[morguana]

my worry is that this kind of technology will reduce war to that of a vid game (but with real conciquences) and therefore without the reality that it actually is
m

[Operator]

It makes you wonder why they are 'nagging' about the JSF for almost a decade now ....
The JSF is a relatively 'regular' airplane compared to the ones posted above and yet they can't be developed by a single country or company.

So what is real the agenda behind the JSF ?

[Luke]

JSF = mass produced piloted plane.
Drones are to slow to react, due to lag on the connection to base. They could not replace real pilots. Such crafts can be made lighter, as you do not need to care that if you cut some construction corners, somebody will die.
Also, drones armament is small in comparison to JSF, i mean, biggest "predators" have 4 helfires on board - 196 kg (4x49) , while JSF can take several tons (reported (http://www.fighter-planes.com/info/jsf.htm) 13000 - 17000 lbs / 6-7 tons)
Different tasks, different machines.

[Fredkc]

my worry is that this kind of technology will reduce war to that of a vid game (but with real conciquences) and therefore without the reality that it actually is
m

I recommend the book "Ender's Game" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ender%27s_Game) by Orson Scott Card.

If you thought the cry "Soylent Green is people!" was scary, try "Our soldiers are children!"

[Humble Janitor]

I'm getting sick and tired of them wasting money/resources on this junk.

Why not use that money/resources to HELP people for once? The human race is the only species that continues to come up with new ways to kill its' own.

It's bloody ridiculous!

[Elandiel BernElve]

I'm getting sick and tired of them wasting money/resources on this junk.

Why not use that money/resources to HELP people for once? The human race is the only species that continues to come up with new ways to kill its' own.

It's bloody ridiculous!

You've got that right...

Here in the netherlands we're about to spend 10 billion euros on a new fleet of JSF...

10 f-ing billion euros for a bunch of terror killing planes we probably won't ever use because we are a nation without the guts (or with the intelligence) not to go to frontal war.
With that amount of money some considerable problems could have been solved right away!

oil and warfare ridiculous

[Fredkc]

Why not use that money/resources to HELP people for once?
Here's a thought;
If governments stopped stealing the money from people to feed this insanity, there be damned few people who needed help!

Not to mention what they're spending is actually "fiat debt", they're really stealing from our children, and grand children! And all to feed a manufactured paranoia about what might happen in the "next five minutes".

Fred

[Luke]

Here's a thought;
If governments stopped stealing the money from people to feed this insanity, there be damned few people who needed help!

Not to mention what they're spending is actually "fiat debt", they're really stealing from our children, and grand children! And all to feed a manufactured paranoia about what might happen in the "next five minutes".

Fred

It follows Celine's Laws (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celine%27s_Laws)
1. National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity.
2. Accurate communication is possible only in a non-punishing situation.
3. An honest politician is a national calamity.
:)

[PHARAOH]

Where are the UFO'S to knock these things outta the sky when you need them??? (safely of course)... This is Orewllian at its max!!! This under the guise of "saving soldiers lives" while taking thousands of innocent families to the grave. But hey; what the heck, lets just kick back and watch the game. They won't use these weapons of mass destruction on us. This is "AMERICA"! How sad.

May want to sit down for this one.

http://www.universetoday.com/2010/05/25/amateur-astronomers-spy-on-air-forces-secret-mini-space-plane/

[Fredkc]

They won't use these weapons of mass destruction on us. This is "AMERICA"!

I have always been rabidly (hmm.... seems to be my word of the day) against this foolishness, even at the cost of, and really in the interest of "national security.

I keep trying to remind folk that, "Whatever you let government do to 'them' will eventually be done to you, by that same government."

No one in government gives a damn about your security. It's their own the fear for.

[Studeo]

Hybrid Air Vehicles

Revolutionary Aerospace Solutions for Transport, Surveillance and Telecommunications in the 21st Century

Hybrid Air Vehicles is one of the world's leading exponents of 'Lighter-Than-Air' (LTA) technology, with the world's most experienced team specialising in designing, building and certifying LTA systems.

The growing world demand for raw materials and the increasing threat of global terrorism is driving the need for novel solutions to the requirements for heavy lift transportation and surveillance / communications with the minimum environmental impact. Hybrid Air Vehicles' products directly address all of these requirements in a cost effective manner.

On this site, you will find out more about our vision for the future - the application of new technology to heavy lift transportation and to the ever growing surveillance / communications market.

http://www.hybridairvehicles.net/

[Teakai]

I'm getting sick and tired of them wasting money/resources on this junk.

Why not use that money/resources to HELP people for once? The human race is the only species that continues to come up with new ways to kill its' own.

It's bloody ridiculous!

Couldn't agree more, Humble Janitor. All that money, time and effort and for what? The creation of destruction.

Perfectly absurd.