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Air Force Commits to Micro Air Vehicle

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the expensive-toy-planes dept.

Looks like the Air Force is committing to full scale production of their new "Wasp III" mini-UAV. "Weighing in at a mere 1 pound, the plane's diminutive 29-inch wingspan can still loft a variety of hefty payloads in addition to its infrared cameras that stream video directly to ground control. The Wasp is launched by hand and can be operated either manually or programmed for auto-pilot with autonomous GPS navigation, according to AeroVironment. The Wasp III is part of Air Force's Battlefield Air Targeting Micro Air Vehicle program (BATMAV), which will allow troops to scan enemy targets from 5 kilometers away for up to 45 minutes at a time, according to the company."

3 of 44 comments (clear)

  1. Small soldiers. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    These micro vehicles will be driven by tiny soldiers I presume.

    1. Re:Small soldiers. by russ1337 · · Score: 2, Funny

      The reason modern military aircraft are so large, is so they can fit the pilots ego.

  2. Re:They are priced at.. by no_pets · · Score: 3, Funny

    USAF will be paying $49,990 for them.

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    "A government is a body of people, usually notably ungoverned." - Shepard Book Quoting Malcolm Reynolds