Shooting Down a UAV in Flight

Shooting Down an Enemy UAV so it cannot give away military movement intelligence.

We know that with any new innovation in warfare or any new theme that comes along or borrowed technology from another industry to help in the ongoing struggle and conflict of man is short lived.

For instance the V-1 Rocket, Nuclear Bomb, Aircraft, balloon, musket, tank, steel ship, sword, missile or even the helmet once the initial advantage was discovered then the enemy or future potential enemy had the same weapons and therefore more innovation had to occur to regain the advantage. Although this crazy cycle never ends, it has brought us many good things too; Nuclear Power, microwave Ovens, Modern Communication, Airline Transport, Safer Automobiles, Lighter Materials, on and on. And that is a cycle through transfers of technology, which will also continue, and therefore mankind and our future has many brighter days ahead in every sector of our endeavors.

These cycles are so well known of new advances causing new advances in warfare that Von Clauswitz noted in his books On War. We see in this latest Iraqi conflict, Afghanistan outing and in the war on terrorism that the Predator and other expensive UAVs helped quite a bit. Now then, the cost to build these is not good for our enemy so do not expect them to attain the two squadrons of Predators that the US Air Force has ordered which would total 40 aircraft. Our enemy will however try to copy our smaller UAV designs that are based on the fun flying radio-controlled aircraft of sportsmen on 7 continents. Now then how do you down a UAV, well if it is truly controlled by Radio Waves, you can disrupt them yes? Yes, but what if it is controlled by other means or can fly for a distance using inherent airfoil stability through dihedral of the wings or proper use of vertical and horizontal stabilizers or a canard? Then the glider once out of the frequency disruption can resume. Even more fearful is that while in-flight it can continue it's mission if the camera settings are set to work free from control and when the fuel runs out will continue to flow with the wind down wind to it's originators? Then the theory of in-flight signal disruption is a wash.

So then another thought. This mounted on two Humvees. A giant net. Remember the reason we do not litter six pack plastic holders? Because they get caught up in the beaks of wildlife migrating birds and sea life. And remember how you catch a butterfly? With a net. So then you have a plastic high tensile strength foldable net 1000 foot high, 2000 foot wide. When you see the UAV swarm or possible threat to your position by way of intelligence gathering by an enemy UAV. Then you send up the net attached to two hovering UAVs, which fly at an 85-degree angle in the direction of the threat. The net is anchored at the humvee SUVs on the ground and once the UAV vertical units are tugged too far they fly forward 300 feet and allow the net to disconnect making it fall to the ground in an arch shape with the foreign matter enemy UAVs caught in the net. Then you learn the frequencies used to transmit and down the rest by way of radio disruption without hurting your own communications systems. Even if the enemy has some type of radar to see the net, the net is plastic by Dupont. If the enemy tries to develop a radar to detect this then it will add weight and thus enemy UAV will have a shortened range.

Shooting down a UAV is not a good use of weaponry unless you could do it using a small style shoulder launched red eye round. But still a modern stinger type missile is more costly than what you are shooting down and a shoulder launched missile that is heat seeking cannot work as the heat displacement of a RC model airplane which is all this is, is very little and thus the target hard to hit. Now realize the amount of money going into these UAV tests and models is significant compared to the local hobby shop, so someone ought to get their sharp pencil out and figure out a way to 10,000 to 20,000 of these things for massive swarms for the price of one or two 15 million dollar aircraft. Because clearly this is all they are worth.

And remember part of Moore's Law was reduced size and capacity, but also cost to make. Downing enemy UAVs is as important as making them. Because once you show viability of concept they will be making them and our enemies will also have them. A net is how you catch an insect, and soon the MAVs for surveillance will literally be a fly on the wall.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs