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Laser Powers Lockheed Martin's Stalker Drone For 48 Hours

Posted by samzenpus on from the power-up dept.

garymortimer writes "Lockheed Martin (LMT) and LaserMotive, Inc., recently demonstrated the capabilities of an innovative laser power system to extend the Stalker Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flight time to more than 48 hours. This increase in flight duration represents an improvement of 2,400 percent. Stalker is a small, silent UAS used by Special Operations Forces since 2006 to perform intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions."

5 of 129 comments (clear)

  1. relative terms by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Funny

    <LMT> "Stalker is a small... it's only half the size of a predator drone!"
    <guy> "Oh?... How large is a predator drone?"
    <LMT> "The size of a bus."

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  2. Re:so you can get a line of sight? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I was so hoping for that link to be real.

  3. Re:No Explanation by 0100010001010011 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I've played enough SimCity 2000 to know that this is a terrible idea.

  4. Re:Power it from above by aaronb1138 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I tried to design a system like that once, but during the development I had a dream where I was dressed in a Sun God robe surrounded by naked women chanting and throwing pickles at me. That brought and end to it all.

  5. Re:Power it from above by Kugala · · Score: 4, Funny

    Thankfully this is a problem solved by MORE POWER. The most revered of all engineering solutions.