The Sabre Warrior drone is 46 feet long, with a 36-foot wingspan, capable of taking off with 30,000 pounds of load using a 22,000-pound trust afterburning turbofan engine. It has two modular payload sections, which can be changed by soldiers in the field. Each bay can handle one 2,000 pound or two AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles or 10 smart bombs or sensors, or even fuel for extended range missions—even while this thing is air refuelable.

Its twin nose can also hold multiple sensors, which are interchangeable. And it is designed so there could be a version with a cockpit, so they can send man version as an on-the-scene controller, overlooking over the unmanned versions.

Ah Lockheed Martin's SkunkWorks, always working on making all our nightmares real, you nutty engineers who don't watch apocalyptical movies you. OK people, we may as well burn the office and run to the hills now. [Defense Tech]

Above is the Dark Sword, the Chinese military's newest drone. Not only does it look a lot cooler than any American model, it's apparently much more maneuverable and highly capable in air-to-air combat. This is on top of the Chinese having carbon copies of the Predator and Global Hawk UAVs ready to go in their arsenal.

Not to mention the names are much more awesome. How cool is the phrase "Dark Sword?" Or better yet, "Sour Dragon?" Seriously. [DefPro via Wired via PopSci]

Apparently the pilots of an unmanned, but armed, MQ-9 Reaper drone lost control of the UAV a few days ago. The resulting manned mission to take it down was mounted almost immediately and ended successfully before the drone reached the edges of Afghanistan's airspace.

I wonder what would've happened if the Reaper hadn't been shot down. It is typically used for "hunter-killer" missions and targets enemies on the ground. Would it continue a mission like that without operator input?

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles like the Reaper are supposed to be programmed to return to their home bases in case they lose contact with their pilots. There's no explanation as to why the fail-safe didn't kick in for this particular Reaper. Nor is this incident the first time that a UAV has been shot down by intentional friendly fire. What's going on and when can I start to panic? [Aviation Weekly via Popular Science]

Update: CNET originally reported that it was a RED, but it's actually a Panasonic HVX.

Update 2: Here's the actual music video, and the original feature. [CrunchGear via CNET]

Like the X6—featured in Giz Gallery 2008—the X4 is a carbon fiber-bodied UAV with four carbon fiber rotating blades. The 680-gram (with battery) copter is capable of using a still/video camera (in this case, a Panasonic Lumix point-and-shoot), an infrared camera and a low-light camera, all of which can be controlled from the ground. The X4 also features three accelerometers, three gyroscopes, three magnetometers and a barometric pressure sensor, and the controller is based on an OLED touchscreen. The X4 only has four motors to the X6's six, but that comes at a big boon to the pricey 'copter: The X6 checked in at about $15,000, and the X4 should be more like $10,000.

So yeah, this thing is still super expensive. But it's also just about the best heli-cam we've ever seen, capable of flying both indoors and in inclement weather (up to 18mph of wind). Check out these videos at Draganfly's site to get a real sense of the true badassery of the copter. [Draganfly]

In a recent briefing, the Department of Defense laid out its new plans: Smaller and far more precise UAVs with badass names like "Suburb Warrior" and "Sniper" that will hunt in groups, rather than just blowing suspected hideouts to pieces with Hellfire missiles. The Suburb Warrior, for example, is designed to fire volleys of mini-missiles in tight formation, which makes a nice change from previous missiles that often demolished entire city blocks.

Unfortunately, these new UAVs should see production in about five years, by which time who knows what kind of battles we'll need to fight—or who'll be leading the Pentagon. But it's a step in the right direction, that's for sure. [Esquire]

"I could be crazy, but I think I see a bubble canopy on this aircraft, which would seem to rule out the "UCAV" theory! The plot thickens..."

There's no record of any plane with this shape and a canopy in the US military arsenal. [The Dew Line]

This an artist rendering based on (not so) classified and unpublished photos obtained by UVonline.com reporter Darren Lake. The photo of the unidentified flying object—which apparently is a mystery unmanned aircraft nobody has ever heard off—was taken in Kandahar in 2007, but has been published now by a french magazine. [Air-Cosmos and UVonline via Flight Global]

Update: It's not a Phantom Ray. Look at the drawing. That UCAV prototype has been approved no for ten new flight, but it was in storage before that. This is a new plane.

The X6 is a spy drone with wireless video and still cameras (in hi-def, infra-red and 0 lux flavors) that can fly autonomously, or as a remote-controlled bot. It has 11 sensors (including gyros, accelerometers, barometers, magnetometers and GPS) and is so easy to pilot, a Wii gamer could do it. Now it will be used by the Ontario Provincial Police and the Saskatoon Police to patrol crime scenes and help gather evidence.

At it's core, this is the same Draganflyer X6 we've come to know and love in the past, but now with a shiny police badge and a healthy distaste for crime. Canadian perps, be afraid. Be very, very afraid. [Draganfly]

Simply put, increasingly sophisticated robots programmed to kill enemies living and animatronic will at some point be making their own decisions about who to shoot at, and when to shoot at them. New congressional requirements have demanded increased reliance on unmanned vehicles for both "deep-strike" air combat and ground combat, deployed at a fast clip over the next six years. Code is no longer written by one person who understands all facets of it, but by specialized teams who don't necessarily know all the components of the operating system. According to the Times UK article, the report discusses the following bone-chilling concerns:

How do we protect our robot armies against terrorist hackers or software malfunction? Who is to blame if a robot goes berserk in a crowd of civilians—the robot, its programmer or the US president? Should the robots have a "suicide switch" and should they be programmed to preserve their lives

Therefore, the ONR report is the first step by the military in investigating what the report's chief compiler Dr. Patrick Lin calls a "warrior code," essentially a combination of programmed rules and an AI learning period where robots are taught a form of "battlefield ethics."

If this doesn't sound new, it's because a) you read a lot of Asimov, b) you love Will Smith more than most Will Smith fans, or c) you caught the civilian discussion of this matter last year in Gizmodo. We'll understand if your answer is d) all of the above. [Times UK via Geekologie]

Small UAVs armed with explosives or equipped with surveillance sensors are a growing threat on the battlefield. Laser Avenger, unlike a conventional weapon, can fire its laser beam without creating missile exhaust or gun flashes that would reveal its position. As a result, Laser Avenger can neutralize these UAV threats while keeping our troops safe.

The Laser Avenger is mounted on the kinetic-based Avenger air defense system. However, no kinetic weapons were used in taking down the UAV. Tested at the White Sands Missile Range— a 3,200-square-mile rocket range in New Mexico, the largest military installation in the US—the Laser Avenger tracked three UAVs flying "against a complex background of mountains and desert", shooting down one of the UAVs.

The test success comes after the company doubled the laser power and added acquisition and tracking capabilities to the original design. Star Wars, here we go. [Via Press Release]

This is one serious UAV, one that puts most others to shame. Just look at these specs:

With a payload of 318kg (700lb) per single 31km (57nm) radius sortie, each Mule will be capable of delivering about 3,180kg over 24h, including the ferrying on return trips of casualties where medevac flights are needed. Mule's maximum operating altitude is 12,000ft (3,660m).

[FlightGlobal]

On its own, the Gasser EB is a mean, noisy machine. At 54 inches long, it's equipped with a 34.5-inch (800-millimeter) blade, and a gasoline engine powerful enough to resist the drag of a hefty handgun. Which is precisely what the owner of this beast, Jim Simmons, added to it: A Springfield 1911-A .45 caliber weapon.

Simmons also added a remote-controlled firing system. And if you think that's pretty stupid because the pilot on the ground won't be able to aim, think again: He also added a gun-sight digital camera. In other words: This is a fully-armed mini-UAV, which you can actually use to fly anywhere, aim, and fire at whatever target you want.

Yeah, this is exactly how documentaries about loads of dead people start. Or maybe not people, but polar bears and elks.

Dear Santa,

I didn't get the VP job, but can you please bring me this RC Helicopter with .45 caliber handgun?

Thank you and merry Xmas,

xxxooo
Sarah

[LiveLeak]

It's going to be convenient because the Ripsaw MS1, an unmanned ground vehicle that is designed to be easily fixed and replaced. Make them cheap, don't worry about armor—there are no soldiers inside, so who cares—, and just put them on the battlefield by the truckload, ready to destroy and be destroyed. The philosophy is terrifying.

Developed with just $1 million by the Howe brothers in Maine, the light tank is controlled from a modular station that can be fitted in other army vehicles located out of the battlefield. The Ripsaw MS1 is all-terrain, and as you can see in the video, it can jump through obstacles made of concrete at full speed.

Needless to say, the military are excited: Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Army’s vice chief of staff, called it “an amazing piece of gear” when it was presented yesterday at the Army Science Conference in Orlando. You can rejoice too, because soon there will be no soldiers killed in wars. Just the usual collateral damage of innocent civilans. [Howe and Howe via Defense Tech]

The Draganflyer X6 is not your usual flying toy. In fact, it's not a toy, but a serious piece of hardware, one of the coolest unmanned autonomous vehicle in existence, with GPS, onboard video, and the ability to attach any module, from HD video cameras to low-light vision, thermal FLIR units, or regular still cams.

Aimed at industrial and commercial use, it provides reconnaissance and inspection information using on-board wireless video and still cameras. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter is able to fly autonomously or can be flown manually by remote control. The Draganflyer X6 helicopter achieves its stability by using an on-board processor running more than ten thousand lines of code and receiving data from eleven on-board sensors (three gyros, three accelerometers, three magnetometers, one barometric pressure sensor, and one GPS receiver). It can be piloted by users with minimal or zero training.

The Draganflyer X6 helicopter can be put into GPS hold mode where it will maintain its position without any user input. This means that after activating GPS hold, the pilot can set the handheld controller on the ground while the Draganflyer X6 helicopter flies itself. This mode will allow the user to focus on other tasks such as aerial photography from the Draganflyer X6 helicopter.

The Draganflyer X6 helicopter uses interchangeable cameras, covering different areas of use. A high definition video camera provides 1080p resolution. For dawn and dusk use, there is a low light (0.0001lux) video camera. For night use or search and rescue, the thermal FLIR (Forward Looking Infra-Red) camera provides heat vision. High-resolution photographs can be captured with the 10.1 mega-pixel digital still camera. When using any of the camera modules.

[Thanks to REED ANNEX and thanks to our benefactor gizmine.com]

Gizmodo Gallery
Reed Annex
151 Orchard Street
New York, NY 10002

Gizmodo Gallery Reader Meetup
The reader meetup takes place across the street from the Gallery, at a place called The Annex (not to be confused with REED ANNEX where the gallery is hosted.) The address is 152 Orchard Street and we'll be there at 9 PM SHARP on Friday December 5th.

Gallery Dates:
December 4th-7th

Times:
12/4 Thursday
12-8

12/5 Friday
12-8

12/6 Saturday
11-8

12/7 Sunday
11-4

[Gizmodo Gallery]

Though the ability to hover at extremely low altitudes has some obvious military applications, the fact that drones may now be able to dodge unanticipated barriers could help UAVs fly in civilian airspace, something which regulatory authorities in this country don't traditionally allow unless they have a reasonable guarantee against the surprise pulping of unsuspecting bystanders. [NewScientist]

And, Barry, when these things get cheap enough for the mass market, give me a ring. There's this remote on my coffee table that's just out of reach. [New Scientist]

VRAC officials have seen early success with the program thanks, in part, to the ass-backwards approach they've taken to remote UAV control:

This approach inverts the typical paradigm for conveying information to UAV jockeys, according to VRAC. Because rather than augmenting the real-time camera picture with sensor generated information, the new interface works more like a virtual operating theater-one that's constantly fed by a myriad array of spatial and temporal information sources.

"We're also developing and measuring the effectiveness of new human interface techniques, which will enable operators to effectively control multiple, semi-autonomous aircraft," said research director Dr. James Oliver. "Already, up to 230 persons can be interfaced to participate in the system simultaneously."

Again, that sounds like a kick ass LAN party to me. A deadly LAN party, that is. [CNET]