RISE OF THE BIO BOT DRONES
Researchers at the University of California-Berkeley and Singapore's Nanyang University have developed an organic alternative to small man-made drones. Miniaturized drones are increasingly manufactured to focus on new missions, but there are limits to their payloads and battery life, which can restrict operations. That problem may now be solved, since scientists have discovered how to control the motor functions of a two-inch giant flower beetle via a one-centimeter square remote control microprocessor unit mounted on its back. These nature/machine hybrids are manipulated by connecting small wires from the control unit directly to the motor center in the beetle's brain and altering the electrical signals. Controlling the beetle's flight and ground movements is more accurate and fluid than operating a mechanical drone, and after a year of testing scientists can now control both flight and walking patterns. Small cameras and microphones, as well as other devices, can be attached to the beetle-drone offering possibility for search and rescue operations as well as espionage and intelligence gathering. (smithsonian.org, April 1, 2016)
THE PENTAGON'S MICRO UAVS
The Department of Defense, meanwhile, is also focusing on miniature drones. For years, the military has used large unmanned aerial vehicles to conduct battlefield surveillance at high altitudes. However, the U.S. Army is seeking a commercially available pocket-sized drone it can issue to troops on the battlefield that can provide enhanced situational awareness at the squad level. The loose requirements for the technology include the ability to stay aloft for 15 minutes at a stretch, be the same size and weight as a smartphone, identify human sized objects at a distance of 50 to 70 feet, and be able to launch in less than a minute. Phil Cheatham, the deputy branch chief for electronics at the U.S. Army's Maneuvers Center for Excellence, hopes that such micro UAVs will be able to "send real-time video back to the operator to give them real-time situational awareness of what's in the immediate vicinity." The drone would allow troops to see around any obstacles, avoid ambushes and provide them with targeting data. Constraints exist, however; while other militaries currently employ such small drones, many of those systems are simply too expensive to issue to every squad. (wired.com, April 4, 2016)
A NEW KIND OF SUBMARINE HUNTER
DARPA, the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, has unveiled a new unmanned drone ship designed for anti-submarine warfare. Deputy Defense Secretary Robert Work recently highlighted the new craft, known as the "Sea Hunter," stating in a briefing that "this is the first time we've ever had a totally robotic, trans-oceanic-capable ship." The capability is an increasingly necessary one for the U.S. Navy to possess as Russia and China increase their maritime strength, with China's growing submarine fleet a particular source of concern. In addition to tracking down enemy subs, the 132-foot vessel has the capacity to carry several types of payloads and be used for numerous missions. The unmanned vessel is capable of deploying for periods of two to three month at a time - and to do so at drastically reduced costs as compared to current manned ships. Military planners believe that the craft will be ready to go on station in the Western Pacific within five years. (International Business Times, April 8, 2016)
MISSILE DEFENSE LOOKS LEFT OF LAUNCH
U.S. ballistic missile defense is currently built around the concept of "kinetic kill," in which a defending interceptor destroys an incoming enemy missile, usually in the mid- to late stages of the latter's flight. But increasingly, the Pentagon is widening the aperture through which it looks at missile defense in an attempt to neutralize threats earlier in their life cycle. The DoD is currently investing in non-kinetic technologies that would enable "left of launch" missile denial - that is, stopping and destroying ballistic missiles before they leave their launch site.
The need for advanced left of launch capabilities has been apparent for a long time, particularly in light of recent budget shortfalls for building missile interceptors and the growing arsenals of America's adversaries. Vice Adm. James D. Syring, the Director of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, has stated that "the development of non-kinetic technologies, such as directed energy, and new concepts of operation, such as boost-phase intercept and "left-of-launch" missile defense, are game-changing and would have a dramatic effect on the need to rely exclusively on expensive interceptors." Current "left of launch" options being explored by defense planners include cyber-attacks on missile systems, weaponized electromagnetic pulse (EMP) strikes, and targeted high power lasers. (Washington Free Beacon, April 14, 2016)
BLIMP FUNDING DEFLATED
After a disastrous mishap in October of 2015, when a Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System (JLENS) radar blimp broke loose and floated over two states, the controversial sensor program is facing the budgetary axe. The program was suspended last November following the incident, and has since become the target of broad bipartisan condemnation. The House of Representatives has voted to cut 94% of requested funding for the program, effectively killing the JLENS project. Doing so, however, could be detrimental to U.S. situational awareness, insofar as ending the program will take away radar coverage of the East Coast to defend against cruise missiles originating in the Atlantic. (Los Angeles Times, April 22, 2016)
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