Gotta Love the Drone!!

[Trinity]

Unfortunately, he's not allowed to tell me anything. He called this morning, and said he couldn't say when he'll be home on his mid-tour leave, but it would be soon. Hopefully, when he comes home this month, he'll be able to say more.

Apparently.. his brother isn't allowed to tell him anything! : 

 

[HItorMiss]

I retract my statement on the ninja sniper thing if indeed his brother is in Afghanistan.

however the rest of the post's by Haywire in this thread are still Right out of er IMO

 

[Good2Golf]

I've seen an MQ-1L Predator with one of two AGM-114's remaining on its rails at KAF while loading up on a RAF Herc.  It is the only contender for what has been described that has been officially acknowledged as being in that theatre.  I also do not personally believe any variant of the Boeing YX-45 UCAV is operationally employed, nor would it be referred to by the antiquated term "drone"...that's very 60's-ish!  ;D

Info on US UAVs and missile systems

Pic of an X-45 prototype in flight: http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/x-45/DVD-691-10.html

Cheers,
Duey

 

[The Bread Guy]

Here's where some of the bigger booms appear to have come from (according to a Centcom news release, 30 Mar 06, http://tinyurl.com/m62vn ):

"ANA and Coalition ground forces engaged an estimated 20 enemy with small-arms fire. In addition, close-air support aircraft delivered 11 Joint Direct Attack Munitions on enemy positions."

UAVs, though, not in my lane...

Anyone who's interested in a summary of the media coverage, PM me.....

 

[Journeyman]

I've seen an MQ-1L Predator with one of two AGM-114's remaining on its rails at KAF while loading up on a RAF Herc.

Loading a Predator while "bombed up"? How twitchy were the Loadies? 

 

[Franko]

It happens all the time. They're used to it. 

AM....too late for him to remove his email address.

If there is anyone on the site in theater reading his post about this....I'm sure his brother has already been sorted out.

I still call BS though.....prove me wrong that there are UCAV being used in theater, specifcally during the defence of the FOB.

We're ALL waiting.   :

Regards 

 

[Good2Golf]

Loading a Predator while "bombed up"? How twitchy were the Loadies? 

;D

Yeah, JM...I know -- crappy grammar.  :-[  Should have said, "Whilst loading onto a RAF Herc, I had the opportunity to catch a gander of an MQ-1L Predator landing and taxiing with but a single Hellfire upon one of its two armament rails." 

I'm with Franko, must call BS on the "drone" (that being something other than a hot Predator) doing its business in the theatre.

Cheers,
Duey

 

[a_majoor]

Since armed Predators are CIA assets (unless something has changed [damned Company cutting me out of the loop again]), they wouldn't have been deployed to the firefight unless there was some indication a high value target was somehow involved. ("Say, isn't that Osama calling in the mortars?" "Sure looks that way, call Bagram and scramble a drone".)

Given the known numbers and types of aircraft being used in theater, and the type of munitions described in the press (JDAMs), the reality was probably coalition F-15 or F-16s delivering the goods.

Besides, wouldn't super secret stealth UAVs use phaser beams or mind control weapons?  ;D

 

[zipperhead_cop]

I wonder if it was one of these.  I hear they are lethal, and are relentless hunters.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I believe that the US Airforce also employs them.

 

[Franko]

Given the known numbers and types of aircraft being used in theater, and the type of munitions described in the press (JDAMs), the reality was probably coalition F-15 or F-16s delivering the goods.

They were probably Harriers based out of KAF as per the news reports.

The young troop obviously isn't very strong in his AFV....namely aircraft.

Regards

 

[zipperhead_cop]

I believe that the US Airforce also employs them.

I heard that too.  They are deployed out of Hoth Airbase. 

 

[The Bread Guy]

"To fight the bug, we must understand the bug. We can ill afford another Klendathu." 

 

[Franko]

All joking aside I still call........

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Still waiting for a link...

 

[parkie]

haywire.you are making me very uneasy,have you ever heard of a secrecy contract,well,trust me what you are doing is bordering on criminal.many people have worked tireless hours in the development of the uav's,to protect the people on the ground.If by a slim chance you should somehow stumble on or guess,what you think is going on,you should keep it to yourself.loose lips,sink ships,so to speak.

unclassified info on this project;Photo of 45B uav, can not land on flat deck.

    Nick -program specialist.Boeing.Northrop-Grumann.Lochheed.35 years

 

[parkie]

haywire.you are making me very uneasy,have you ever heard of a secrecy contract,well,trust me what you are doing is bordering on criminal.many people have worked tireless hours in the development of the uav's,to protect the people on the ground.If by a slim chance you should somehow stumble on or guess,what you think is going on,you should keep it to yourself.loose lips,sink ships,so to speak.

unclassified info on this project;Photo of 45B uav, can not land on flat deck.

    Nick -program specialist.Boeing.Northrop-Grumann.Lochheed.35 years

I can't believe I let you get to me so much I misspelled grumman and lockheed

 

[Korus]

Maybe he saw a Sperwer and assumed "delta wing" = "stealth" despite the... ahem.. prop and Bombardier Rotax engine?
(Then with real air support dropping the JDAMs)

 

[Blue Max]

Seaking--remember on another thread we were talking about the AH-130 Spooky and the video from it?  One of you flier types mentioned a new drone that may be replacing the Predator, and that it may be being carried on a Spooky.  Smaller, and no Hellfires, if I am remembering right (and it is entirely possible that I'm not).  If I'm not totally out to lunch, which drone was it you guys were talking about? 
On the off-chance Haywire isn't 100% off target...

Zipperhead, that was a Viper Strike glider bomb, that can be fitted to many different types of AC, including AC-130 or Predator. The Predator can carry two Viper Strikes for every one Hellfire.
http://forums.army.ca/forums/threads/40544.15.html

This thread sounds like such BS, for all the reasons already mentioned, IMHO.

 

[JBP]

The F-117 first flew in 1981.  It began life at Lockheed Skunkworks in 1977 under the "Have blue" project. In 1978 the "Senior Trend" program was launched  and resulted in 5 pre-production aircraft, the first of which made its first flight on 18 July 1981.  First time a photograph of the F-117 was unveilled by the pentagon was 10 November 1988 by assistant secretary of defence for public affairs Daniel Howard.

First Combat action for the F-117 was in Panama on 19 December 1989 during Operation JUST CAUSE.  The strike was on PDF barracks in Rio Hato.  Aircraft flew non-stop from their base at the Tonopha airfield and dropped 2000 lbs LGBs.

Desert storm was in 1991

Thank god you cleared that up for him, I was just about to launch into the same schpeel but it seems you had it at the ready! Watch and shoot as they say... I remembered the Stealth's first flight year because it's the year and MONTH I was born.

Some people really have no idea...

I'm pretty sure if his brother did tell him he saw a "stealth thing drone" he probably just assumed like any other person who doesn't know aircraft that well that it was a stealth because it's an odd looking aircraft. It was 99% most likely a predator that flew by, but seeing as Predator UAV's only carry 2 Hellfire missles as previously mentioned dozens of times, it was probably many coalition aircraft that dropped the JDAM's... Especially since Predators don't carry JDAM's.....

:

Out to lunch!