Boeing A160T Hummingbird Robotic helicopterThe robotic helicopter made by Boeing has just been tested and the slick flying machine was unmanned and airborne for 12 minutes. The "helibot" will have the ability to fly at 140 knots as high as 30,000 feet for up to 20 hours. Photo from New Launches
From The Danger Room:
Last year, U.S. Special Operations Command quietly began taking delivery of 10 Boeing-built Hummingbird robotic helicopters, and outfitting them for two-gigapixel spy cameras, foliage-penetrating radars, small guided missiles and even 800-pound-capacity cargo pods.
Now the command has announced it will buy another 10 Hummingbirds, re-designated MQ-18, by 2017 — and deploy three of them to an “undisclosed location” next year, according to British aviation magazine Air Forces Monthly.
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My Comment: I can understand why Secretary of Defense Gates is gung ho on these type of weapon systems, and negative on high cost systems like the F-22 fighter and certain elements of the Future Combat Systems project.
The commanders in the combat zones want drones, drones and more drones. Drones to supply for them. Drones to spy for them. Drones to protect them.
I am sure that since the Afghan campaign stated in 2001, no one has called in for an F-22 strike.