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U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

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Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#71
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To the extent that those of us who are making a positive contribution to society can slow down and impede the progress of those who are working to put more and more power in the hands of trained killers with more advanced weapons, we will have a better future with less destructive conflicts. Of course it is better to impede the progress of those whose weapons are pointed at you than the progress of those whose weapon…

If you're avoiding war and you don't have the ability to win war, you're not peaceful or virtuous, you're just weak.

“Strength is paradoxical. I am not strong because I can force others to do what I wish as a result of my play with them, but because I can allow them to do what they wish in the course of my play with them.” ― James P. Carse, Finite and Infinite Games: A Vision of Life as Play and Possibility

Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#73

Current cruise missiles are optimised for long range but not for final target accuracy, they actually use onboard offline terrain data to cruise to their target. Accuracy of 99% is considered bad as it might mean collateral damage. Also final target is predefined and aborting or changing target is non-trivial. With these so called "suicide drones", human operators can actions based on current situation, like, pinpoin…

Your information is outdated. The latest Tomahawk missiles support GPS guidance in addition to digital scene matching. And they do allow retargeting in flight.

Accuracy is typically quoted in CEP, not percentage.

Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#74

Current cruise missiles are optimised for long range but not for final target accuracy, they actually use onboard offline terrain data to cruise to their target. Accuracy of 99% is considered bad as it might mean collateral damage. Also final target is predefined and aborting or changing target is non-trivial. With these so called "suicide drones", human operators can actions based on current situation, like, pinpoin…

if the situation changed substantially, also known as "the brown person isn't there anymore".

Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#75
post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To the extent that those of us who are making a positive contribution to society can slow down and impede the progress of those who are working to put more and more power in the hands of trained killers with more advanced weapons, we will have a better future with less destructive conflicts. Of course it is better to impede the progress of those whose weapons are pointed at you than the progress of those whose weapon…

If you're avoiding war and you don't have the ability to win war, you're not peaceful or virtuous, you're just weak.

Tip: If you can't win the peace you're weak no matter how many weapons you have.

I'm half a century old. The US hasn't managed to win the peace in my lifetime. Every attempt to impose it's will by force has left it weaker not stronger.

Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#76
post #73

Current cruise missiles are optimised for long range but not for final target accuracy, they actually use onboard offline terrain data to cruise to their target. Accuracy of 99% is considered bad as it might mean collateral damage. Also final target is predefined and aborting or changing target is non-trivial. With these so called "suicide drones", human operators can actions based on current situation, like, pinpoin…

Your information is outdated. The latest Tomahawk missiles support GPS guidance in addition to digital scene matching. And they do allow retargeting in flight. Accuracy is typically quoted in CEP, not percentage.

Military tech almost always has redundant systems for navigation. The reason why missiles don't prefer GPS or any other radio-based navigation as primary is that it is not reliable and not secure enough. An enemy can disrupt or worse alter the signals to re-target the missile.

yeah, probably my info is outdated. I am not an expert on military tech.

Re: U.S. Army Vintage Racer Concept Suggests Hypersonic Entry For Loitering UAS

#77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Supposedly nuclear powered missiles (if they really exist) can cruise for days

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto looks both like an amazing idea and something super over-engineered. It looks like it would be relatively easy to spot too... and possibly shot down?

It would be capable of ICBM speeds but maneuverable instead of traveling in a predictable arc
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