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DARPA Hydra: An Unmanned Sub Mothership to Deploy Drones

Posted by Unknown on from the programmed-to-exterminate-commie-dolphins dept.

garymortimer tips more news about the rise of our robotic overlords. DARPA is now investigating military drone submarines as launch platforms for UAVs. Quoting John Keller at Military & Aerospace Electronics: "The Hydra program will develop and demonstrate an unmanned undersea system with a new kind of unmanned-vehicle delivery system that inserts UAVs and UUVs stealthily into operational environments to respond quickly to situations around the world without putting U.S. military personnel at risk. The Hydra large UUV is to use modular payloads inside a standardized enclosure to deploy a mix of UAVs and UUVs, depending on the military situation. Hydra will integrate existing and emerging technologies in new ways to create an alternate means of delivering a variety of payloads close to where they're needed, DARPA officials say."

12 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Video games are real!! Only this ones kill. by m1ndcrash · · Score: 3, Funny

    Soon years of playstation experience will be worth putting on the resume!

  2. Japanese Subs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    This reminds me during WW2 Japenese developed subs that could surface and open a tiny hangar which launched 1-3 small planes. Sometimes scouts, sometimes bombers. The planes could land on water next to the sub, which had a crane to lift the plane back into the hangar.

    1. Re:Japanese Subs by gadget+junkie · · Score: 3, Informative

      This reminds me during WW2 Japenese developed subs that could surface and open a tiny hangar which launched 1-3 small planes. Sometimes scouts, sometimes bombers. The planes could land on water next to the sub, which had a crane to lift the plane back into the hangar.

      they were intended to drop incendiary bombs on forests.

      --
      "If a boss demands loyalty, give him integrity. But if he demands integrity, give him loyalty." (John Boyd, 1927-1997)
    2. Re:Japanese Subs by Deadstick · · Score: 3, Informative

      they were intended to drop incendiary bombs on forests.

      There was also a plan to attack the Panama Canal. One of the airplanes is preserved at the National Air & Space Museum.

    3. Re:Japanese Subs by flyingfsck · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Some of those Jap subs were actually very large and sophisticated. One three hulled (3 tubes) sub surrendered of the East(!) coast of the US after the end of the war and was scuttled by the US Navy. I saw pics of it somewhere long ago. The centre hull held the fold wing plane.

      --
      Excuse me, but please get off my Pennisetum Clandestinum, eh!
    4. Re:Japanese Subs by Digital+Ebola · · Score: 5, Informative

      There was a good story told at the National Air & Space Museum about that plane. One of the Japanese pilots came to the museum and looked the plane over. He was asked about the "optional" floats that would allow the plane to land. The researchers of the plane did not understand where the floats would be stored on the submarine, as the submarine was pretty small and packed very tightly. The pilot replied that they never took floats and that the plane was never supposed to ever come back.

      Pretty sobering. I believe the example that's in the National museum was recovered from a factory just after the war.

      --
      "Network penetration is network engineering, in reverse."
  3. If only by Sparticus789 · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does it require 25 minerals to build these smaller drones? And can I set the "underwater carrier" to auto-build them?

    --
    sudo make me a sandwich
  4. Re:Proof! by TeamSPAM · · Score: 5, Informative

    The terrorist organization in GI Joe is Cobra. Hydra is a terrorist organization in the Marvel Universe fighting SHIELD and Captain America.

    --
    Brought to you by Team SPAM! where we believe: "Information in the noise!"
  5. Tired of this use of my taxes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I'd like to get back to uses of taxes that will have some benefit rather than projects to aid in killing people whose leaders are not currently popular with us.

  6. Paraphrasing Orwell by mi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Those who ‘abjure’ violence can only do so because robots are committing violence on their behalf. -- George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism"

    --
    In Soviet Washington the swamp drains you.
  7. Re:Proof! by Sparticus789 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You must not have bash installed on your computer. My sarcasm-off.sh script generally compiles and informs users that sarcasm is no longer being used. Are you running a ksh system?

    --
    sudo make me a sandwich
  8. Re:Hail Hydra by Culture20 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Shoot down one drone and two more will take its place.