U.S. Navy Launches a Drone from a Submerged Submarine

http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2013/12/navy-launches-drone-submerged-submarine/75026/

by mankypro • 13 years ago

31 18 13 years ago

defenseone.com

moron4hire• 13 years ago

NRL does amazing work. Their people are highly qualified scientists who get paid peanuts.

charlieflowers• 13 years ago

Yeah, that's cool and all, but can it deliver a package in 30 minutes or less?

stcredzero2• 13 years ago

If sub launched drones can eventually engage in precision bombstrikes and air-superiority operations, this could presage another shift in naval warfare.

brudgers• 13 years ago

It used parts of the Tomahawk system, the precision bombing was largely covered. Drones are supposed to be cheap. Billion dollar delivery platforms don't really align with that. This is the US Navy trying to keep a weapon system designed for the cold war. An attack submarine that isn't stalking boomers is a hole in the water into which money is poured.

gress2• 13 years ago

Why are drones supposed to be cheap?

beachstartup• 13 years ago

getting a live camera + weapons near a spot where a submarine is already positioned is probably a whole lot cheaper than the alternatives.

alternatives: satellite, long range bomber, surface fleet, seal squad...

stcredzero2• 13 years ago

That only applies to this iteration. I don't see any reason why submerged drone launches couldn't be made cheaper.

krschultz• 13 years ago

Doubtful. The exact submarine used for this test launched was used in combat as recently as 2 years ago (Libya). Precision bombing from a submarine has been a solved problem since the late 80s, if not longer.

flippyhead• 13 years ago

How do they get it back?

jws• 13 years ago

For the test they landed at a nearby base. They don't address how an operational weapon system would work in the article.

I'd propose to wipe their memories and land them at a reasonably friendly if not secure location. (Order is important.) barring a safe landing spot, crash them as best you can. War is expensive. The last number I saw for a C5 was $5000/hour, and that was a long time ago.

uptown• 13 years ago

“This six-year effort represents the best in collaboration of a Navy laboratory and industry to produce a technology that meets the needs of the special operations community"

And the endless defense spending continues.

http://nation.time.com/2012/09/25/comparing-defense-budgets-...

VladRussian2• 13 years ago

why Navy is building submarine launchable drones instead of building submarine drones?

gk1• 13 years ago

Firstly, how do you know they aren't?

Secondly, a drone sub has vastly different mission capabilities than a drone aircraft.

pontifier• 13 years ago

This brings to mind the idea of an amphibious quadcopter. That's not what this is, but that's what I thought of.

I wonder if a waterproof quadcopter would navigate well underwater. It seems like it could be an interesting environment to experiment with advanced acrobatic maneuvers at lower speeds.

U.S. Navy Launches a Drone from a Submerged Submarine

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