Robot Drones to Neutralise Insurgents

The US Air Force has given the go ahead for the development of robotic, Frisbee shaped drones to assist in its counter-insurgency missions in areas of hostility, such as the middle-east.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (known as UAVs) would be piloted remotely as they scour especially inhospitable or remote locations for insurgents which could then be neutralised by means of armour-piercing explosives – based on firing jets of molten metal at extremely high velocities at the threat – which could either be fired independently for soft targets, or as a cluster for hardened or armoured targets.

One of the most interesting aspects of these disc shaped UAEs is that they are envisaged to feature an autonomous mode in which control will be fully assumed by the drone itself as it seeks threats. One a threat is identified the drone will be able to classify the level of threat and take the appropriate measures to put the target out of action via an one board target identification and acquisition system.

The development of these UAVs will be undertaken by Triton Systems, linked here, who are based in Chelmsford, US, and who are already developing light composite armour for the army.

More comprehensive information concerning the use of disc shaped UAVs can be found here.

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