Lockheed Martin Plans Unmanned Aircraft

Carl Bialik from the WSJ writes "Lockheed Martin's secretive Skunk Works unit--which previously developed U-2 spy plane, the SR-71 supersonic spy plane and the radar-evading F-117 stealth fighter--has big plans for its latest project: drones. Among the concepts under development, according to the Wall Street Journal: 'One drone would be launched from, and retrieved by, submarines; another would fly at nine times the speed of sound. A third, which is off the drawing board but not quite airborne, has wings designed to fold in flight so that it could rapidly turn from slow-speed spy plane to quick-strike bomber.' The WSJ's reporter also is allowed a rare visit to the Skunk Works complex: 'A factory hall was filled with the prototype of a massive helium-filled airship that one day might ferry troops and heavy equipment to distant battlefields faster and more efficiently than ships--no port or airbase needed. The blimp would float just above the ground on four hover pads, meaning that "you could literally pick a farmer's field" to set down in, says program manager Robert Boyd.'"

Comments

big balloon at war

[omeomi]

The blimp would float just above the ground on four hover pads, meaning that "you could literally pick a farmer's field" to set down in, says program manager Robert Boyd.'"

At least until somebody shot at your gigantic air-filled target...

Re:big balloon at war

[welshwaterloo]

Aha! That's why we're going to use hydrogen! Literally *nothing* can go wrong.

Dones? Already been done

[RootsLINUX]

I've already seen these things in action in Command and Conquer Generals. Can't they come up with some original designs for tools of war anymore instead of just copying them from video games? Sheesh.

(Yes, I'm being sarcastic)

Re:Like the skunk works is open to the WSJ?

[kahei]

This is a group that developed the first operational jet fighters

Lockheed made planes for Hitler???

Signs you watch Chappelle's Show too much...

[sammy baby]

Signs you've been watching to much Chappelle's Show, #125

In a Slashdot discussion, you read the phrase

Lockheed Martin's secretive Skunk Works unit... has big plans for its latest project:

...and you subconsciously complete the sentence:

Mars, bitches.

Hand-launched drones?

[sboyko]

A separate long-term Pentagon blueprint calls for a quantum leap in drones, from hand-launched planes for battlefield surveillance

My son and I were involved in the construction of some of those recently. They were manufactured from sheets of cellulose fiber, carefully bent into the best aerodynamic shapes and flown in our indoor testing ground.

We're still working on the surveillance part but the hand-launching went well. Many made it all the way across the house.

Re:The Germans got there first

[Anonymous Coward]

Sheesh, you Americans - you make me smile. Stuff happens outside the US too.

Oh, sure. Next, you'll be telling us that the Americans didn't crack the German Enigma code (as per the film "U-571"), and that instead the code was cracked by a rag-tag collection of scientists, linguists and crossword-puzzle addicts at Bletchley Park in England. http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/

The Americans do everything first. Everyone knows that (particularly the Americans).

long-term occupation...

[mikeee]

I see that the British has just recently reduced their occupying troop strength below 20,000 troops...

In Germany.

It's a quagmire, I tell you! I blame Churchill for not having an exit strategy.