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2011 Reveals Secret Military Technology

Updated on February 24, 2012

The recent downing of a drone in Iran, and confirmation of stealth
helicopters used in taking out Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan,
come as no surprise in this day and age. What is new to us is
actually yesterday's technology in many cases with the United States
military.

In January 2011, while soaking in the new-year at a Los Angeles hotel, the Air Force announced that it's unmanned craft had returned from 7 months in space. Really? The pictures showed a mini space shuttle-looking craft and the story mentioned no other details. The only reason we even know it landed I propose - is that a craft returning from orbit, or beyond, would be detected on advanced radar systems all over the world.

Seven months in space. Really? Our military has a lot of things going
on that we obviously don't know about, and many reasons are good
- as we wanted those pieces of that stealth helicopter back
before China got a good look at them.

This summer it was the 20,000 mile per hour plane that flew for about
30 minutes before being lost. What happened to the 10,000 mile per hour
version? It probably already exists.

In fact, I believe that unmanned craft of all types are waiting behind
the scenes of all our branches of military. Research science often runs
as much as 50 or more years ahead of what we are exposed too in our
daily lives. Often organizations, such as DARPA, create new technologies for military research and it takes time to roll out for commercial uses. GPS is a recent example of this. So it is not hard to imagine that unmanned vehicles are there when grown men and kids have been flying remote controlled jets, helicopters and radio controlled boats and cars for decades.

The delays with some projects like the Advanced Joint Strike Fighter
may be due more to technology too. How close are we to removing the
pilot from a craft for a fleet of drones? I believe we are already
there. Removing the pilot from the stealth fighter would allow it to be
much smaller, lighter and more agile. The same engines and payload
would produce more even more speed.

That seven months in space, what was that thing doing up there anyway?
Weapons testing, it could have gone to the moon, landed and come back, or maybe it’s even just been parked out there someplace. The craft, designed like a shuttle had payload capability, how much and what it was it used for. How many more do we have up there is my thought, it is possible we have a squadron of those parked in some outer orbit. It is even within the realm of possibility that there is a small unmanned station or base, enough for maybe half a dozen of those space craft that hang in space for seven months. Add
a few weapons and you have a good old science fiction space force.

These drones come in many forms, the Predator we are all familiar with.
Scientists have even managed to shrink these down to the size of a fly.
Yes remote controlled drones that appear and move like an ordinary
housefly are possible. Power sources may also be unconventional, as
removing pilots frees up a lot of energy needed on things around the
pilot, those seats alone weigh a lot. I can guarantee the housefly don't
need to have mid-air refueling with jet fuel.

The Air Force won't be using houseflies to bomb targets, but other
branches can use them for intelligence gathering, spying and gathering
real-time date during events without interfering, distracting, or
drawing attention. Literally a fly on the wall and all the more reason to be wary of such pests.

Advances in military technology are important for our national security,
We should respect our national security and our advancements. Once our
military loses the advantage of technology, or the contractors figure
out a commercially viable use (they want to make money too), we will
see it. The internet was built for the military and science, as was
GPS. Once these technologies are released anyone can copy it. So our
military is justified in keeping their secrets.

These technologies will show themselves when necessary or because of
some mishap. Those that worry that these ultraquiet drones will be used
to spy on us forget that satellites and other technologies have existed
for decades and everyone's life is posted on some website with their
information flying electronically through space like air and it just don't
matter that much. True, we need checks to prevent misuse and prevent nosy governments from planting these devices literally everywhere, because they can.

It is good to know these things though, to learn what we are doing in science
and where we are heading. We must keep our eyes and minds open to
science and it's breakthroughs as they affect or will affect or lives
every day. Since 9/11, we have seen how national security can affect
our lives. Knowledge is our best defense against the abuse of these
technologies. The more informed we are, the sooner they become another
gadget or tool and not a threat.

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