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New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

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Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#101

Post by watertom »

openasocket wrote: post #60

My money is on a foreign hostile entity, but not for a scouting operation, this is an exercise in deterrence. This is someone who wanted to let the US know that they are capable of getting a high-end drone into the country and launch it near important civilian and military infrastructure. Which is also why they would affix it with a bright LED light, they wanted to get noticed and then show off its capabilities. It m…

A 6lb drone is not exactly a deterrent for war.

Don't automatically assume this is foreign, not all branches of the U.S. government play nice with the other branches of the U.S. government.

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#102

Post by vl »

openasocket wrote: post #60

My money is on a foreign hostile entity, but not for a scouting operation, this is an exercise in deterrence. This is someone who wanted to let the US know that they are capable of getting a high-end drone into the country and launch it near important civilian and military infrastructure. Which is also why they would affix it with a bright LED light, they wanted to get noticed and then show off its capabilities. It m…

Most likely explanation is that military was testing their secret drone from this AFB.

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#103

Post by openasocket »

watertom wrote: post #101
openasocket wrote: post #60

My money is on a foreign hostile entity, but not for a scouting operation, this is an exercise in deterrence. This is someone who wanted to let the US know that they are capable of getting a high-end drone into the country and launch it near important civilian and military infrastructure. Which is also why they would affix it with a bright LED light, they wanted to get noticed and then show off its capabilities. It m…

A 6lb drone is not exactly a deterrent for war. Don't automatically assume this is foreign, not all branches of the U.S. government play nice with the other branches of the U.S. government.

Well this wasn't a quad copter someone bought at a Walmart. This thing was allegedly 5ft by 3ft, had a range in excess of 50 miles, outran a police helicopter (though as other comments have pointed out, take that with a grain of salt) and was able to reach and cruise at 14,000ft.

I'd like to hear why you think some branch of the US government would be behind this. To what end?

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#104

Post by sandworm101 »

csa wrote: post #87
asdff wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why not do it like the U.S. and just show off the weapon on soil with domestic press coverage and not risk a diplomatic incident? You don't have to show your whole hand, iirc when they showed the press the B2 they didn't let them see the rear of the plane.

> Why not do it like the U.S. and just show off the weapon on soil with domestic press coverage and not risk a diplomatic incident Because then you can’t probe unannounced/classified defensive abilities, strategies, and tactics.

Well, the fact that the one helicopter it got close to was a police helicopter is too unlikely to be coincidence. Maybe the drone operator knew the police helicopter location. Maybe these were other cops doing something stupid with their new equipment.

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#105

Post by openasocket »

vl wrote: post #102
openasocket wrote: post #60

My money is on a foreign hostile entity, but not for a scouting operation, this is an exercise in deterrence. This is someone who wanted to let the US know that they are capable of getting a high-end drone into the country and launch it near important civilian and military infrastructure. Which is also why they would affix it with a bright LED light, they wanted to get noticed and then show off its capabilities. It m…

Most likely explanation is that military was testing their secret drone from this AFB.

Seems like a weird choice. There's plenty of other air bases that are far removed from the public which are meant to be used for testing. Not to mention there's no justification for doing this in a populated area where someone could get hurt.

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#106

Post by failwhaleshark »

My guess is that was a VTOL with efficient aerodynamics or jet drone to loiter and power for racing-class activities. If it flies, something like https://fusionflight.com/jetquad/ could pull it off.

Possibilities:

0. Rich, drone expert prankster, or startup showing-off to their buddies/customers "getting away with something" highly-illegal.

1. State actor demonstrating strength, vulnerabilities, and/or doing low-level recon.

2. Terrorists scouting targets and/or probing vulnerabilities.

3. Military demonstrating vulnerabilities for civilian awareness and corrective purposes.*

4. Military seeking budget for anti-drone.*

5. Military-Industrial Complex drumming-up business for anti-drone.*

* Conspiracy theory-ish

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#107

Post by pope_meat »

Workaccount2 wrote: post #93
pope_meat wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Seeking friends with a budget for nuclear submarines, and hypersonic missiles. I personally got $5 on it.

I'll throw in $20 if I can be the periscope man

I'll need a good periscope man, deal.

Do you think they'll finance the sub with $25 down and two co-signers?

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#108

Post by cbHXBY1D »

colordrops wrote: post #53
throwaway4688 wrote: post #36

I am quite surprised we have not seen drones as instruments of terror yet.

Israelis have used them against protesting Palestinians with unidentified toxic gases.

Plus the US has illegally killed US citizens, like Anwar al-Awlaki, with drone strikes. Then a few years later they killed his 16 year old son with a drone and his 8 year old daughter in a commando raid. All Americans. [1]

Or when the US has drone striked a wedding. [2]

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki

[2] https://www.reuters.com/article/us-afghanistan-attack/at-lea...

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#109

Post by mrandish »

vl wrote: post #102
openasocket wrote: post #60

My money is on a foreign hostile entity, but not for a scouting operation, this is an exercise in deterrence. This is someone who wanted to let the US know that they are capable of getting a high-end drone into the country and launch it near important civilian and military infrastructure. Which is also why they would affix it with a bright LED light, they wanted to get noticed and then show off its capabilities. It m…

Most likely explanation is that military was testing their secret drone from this AFB.

Yep, either the military or a defense-type contractor taking their new toy out for a spin. There could be a lot of reasons they didn't privately fess up afterward (at least that we know of):

* The flight was an "ad hoc training exercise" that wandered a bit too far (ie not specifically approved by higher authority).

* It was a capabilities test to see how well it could do stealthy observing of energy infrastructure in a civilian controlled airspace. While the US doesn't need to spy on its own infrastructure, it's convenient to trial run locally before deploying the capability over Crimea or Venezuela.

* It was a penetration test to measure response to a potential terrorism scenario. If they had warned the airport or police in advance, it wouldn't be an instructive test.

Re: New Details Emerge on the “Highly Modified Drone” That Outran Police Helicopters

#110

Post by unanswered »

bilbo0s wrote: post #25
unanswered wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So the argument is "no one commits crimes except for terrorists"? I'm afraid I'm not convinced.

I may be mistaken, but I think the argument being made is more like, "no one commits crimes, or any acts really, without a motive." These people, at least their leadership, have significant motive to not commit an act like this. My money would be on terrorists as well, but that's why we have investigations. Let's see where the satellite photos take us.

But that's the same argument, right? The "motive not to commit an act like this" which the article provides is fear of prosecution; so if this argument went through it would just as well be an argument against any crime ever occurring.

Why would anyone ever rob a bank when you can earn money legally?

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