Veil of secrecy lifted on Pentagon office planning ‘Avatar’ fighters and drone swarms

The Washington Post ^ | March 8th, 2016 | By Dan Lamothe

[Mariner]

High over Alaska last summer, the Pentagon experimented with new, secret prototypes: Micro-drones that can be launched from the flare dispensers of moving F-16s and F/A-18 fighter jets. Canisters containing the tiny aircraft descended from the jets on parachutes before breaking open, allowing wings on each drone to swing out and catch the wind. Inch-wide propellers on the back provided propulsion as they found one another and created a swarm.

The experiment was run by the secretive Strategic Capabilities Office, a Pentagon organization launched in summer 2012 to figure out how to best counter growing strategic threats from China and Russia. The specifics of what the mini-drones can do are classified, but they could be used to confuse enemy forces and carry out surveillance missions using equipment that costs much less than full-sized unmanned aircraft. Video reviewed by The Washington Post shows the tiny aircraft, which weigh about a pound each, moving in packs and gaining situational awareness after sitting inert in the flare canisters.

[Mariner]

This is the future of air warfare.

Drones clustered around and in advance of manned aircraft.

The F-35 was designed for this and can control them through data transmission over it's radar transmitter, the most powerful in the fighter world.

But any platform would do. Just upgrade the avionics and fire control.

Also, these drone don't have to be little, can be launched from a carrier or transport (out the back of C-130's?) aircraft and CAN be armed.

Imagine them in the hundred or even thousands.

[doug from upland]

Would love to see swarms over Chappaqua.

[tumblindice]

Michael Crichton wrote a book on something similar, but the swarms were made up of nano-particles.

[Mariner]

Just look at the target in the HUD, or touch it on the screen and the swarm takes it out. The survivors look for the next designated target.

Amazing and transformative technology.

[pleasenotcalifornia]

What do these mini drones use for weapons? Chinese firecrackers?

[glasseye]

I envision something like a cruz missile.
Launched from a safe standoff distance that can loiter at 40,000 feet near an enemy, watching, waiting & selecting targets.
When instructed to engage the missile opens and 1000 one pound drones glide toward the target area already with a specific target in mind.
Each of the mini drones could again loiter until the selected target is available then attack at will.
One could only imagine the battle field of tomorrow.

[grey_whiskers]

I imagine some capable Chinese and Russian scientists are coming up with a simple low-tech weapon which will render these toys useless.

Insects are prey. That is to say, *food*.

[grey_whiskers]

I hope they do better than these:

Dave Barry, "Flying Fish"

[Jeff Chandler]

Prey. Creepiest Crichton book ever.

[Jeff Chandler]

This is what’s called a Force Multiplier.

[PrairieLady2]

This drone releaser...that’s pretty kewl!! Just think, maybe if other nations develop them, we could have star-wars contests between the drones! It could be a really neat new way to fight wars..no deaths, no injuries, score some points, and a prize to the winner. There would be no conquered nations, no invasions, no rapes, no huge expensive wars, injuries, funerals.

Well, its a thought anyway!

[Mariner]

The little one's are only good for recon or flying into the intakes of other aircraft.

But if one looks at the X-47B you can see the potential...2,100 NM range, in-flight refueling and a weapons bay for up to 4,500lbs of ordnance.

Unmanned and with the same controlability of the little guys.

And stealth.

You can probably put 8-12 AIM-120 AMRAAM's in the bay. On a rotary dispenser.

[Jonty30]

When developed, each drone could probably carry a couple of small missiles. With each plane, it could effectively be fully loaded and have many dozens of extra missiles to boot under the pilot’s control.

[egfowler3]

For those interested, you can go to YouTube and search for “quadcopter drone swarm” and get a scary eye full.

[DaveA37]

“The specifics of what the mini-drones can do are classified.......”

The fact that this story was even published tells the world that we have them and that they can do likewise. WHENEVER we have exceptional or specialized weaponry, keep that information under your belt, you may need to use such weaponry some time, ANY advantage is a good advantage. Yes, we do have stupid people in government.

[PLMerite]

I wonder how they'd do against a swarm attack by Iranian bass-boats?

Would they leave any for the Phalanx to chew up?