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Title: How useful is a captured drone?
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URL Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16162043
Published: Dec 14, 2011
Author: staff
Post Date: 2011-12-14 07:06:30 by Tatarewicz
Keywords: None
Views: 116
Comments: 4
An American surveillance drone has been captured and filmed in Iran, where experts are apparently examining it. But how much valuable information are they likely to glean? Pictures broadcast by Iranian television of the stealth RQ-170 Sentinel will have made grim viewing in Washington. Iran has rejected US calls for its return, and state television says military experts were in the final stages of recovering data. So how easy is it to extract information from a drone? It all depends what state the aircraft was in when they recovered it, says Nick Brown, editor-in-chief of Jane's International Defence Review. "It could have crashed and come apart. The version seen on the video clips could be a reconstruction. But if the aircraft is relatively intact, you could take a fair bit from it." One thing the Iranians might be doing is testing it with radar in an anechoic chamber, he says, to find its "radar cross-section", which is a measure of how detectable it is. They could also learn from some of the more exotic radar-defeating shaping and materials. Continue reading the main story The answer RQ-170 Sentinel Very useful if it's not damaged Could learn how it evades radar Also how it intercepts signals But information on how it flies requires complex computer software Iran refuses to return US drone Some parts of the RQ-170 - such as the undercarriage and likely the fly-by-wire avionics and engine - have been taken from existing aircraft, so won't offer much that's new. "But the real bonanza is likely to be the payload. We don't know what payloads are on there but there's probably signal intelligence, electro-optical sensors and/or a radar. "The RQ-170 doesn't carry weapons and the two humps on the top of the fuselage are radomes or fairings covering satellite uplinks which send information back from those sensors to the aircraft's control station." With the RQ-170 itself, the challenge is not so much building it but making it airworthy, says Mr Brown. "There are complicated algorithms that control the aircraft. Getting a boomerang-shaped object to fly where you want it to fly is hard and only really possible with advanced flight modelling, powerful computers and software. Continue reading the main story Analysis Jonathan Marcus BBC diplomatic correspondent For all its futuristic shape, the RQ-170 Sentinel is by no means state of the art. Lessons could certainly be learnt about how it is put together and the means used to cloak its exhaust, always a problem in low-observable or stealth aircraft. But reverse-engineering the Sentinel is seen by experts as probably being beyond Iran's capability. Of greater concern to Washington is what the drone may have been carrying. The likelihood is that it had on board a full-motion video camera. This again is not cutting-edge technology. Reaper drones with more advanced multi-channel video pods have been flying over Afghanistan for about a year. If one of those fell into the wrong hands that really would be something. "So if you don't have that level of information gleaned from the aircraft's onboard hard drive and circuitry you won't easily be able to do anything but build something that's the same shape." All the control algorithms would be encrypted, so it's not as easy as just reading a hard drive and replicating it, he adds. Could the Iranians do it? They are past masters at reverse engineering, says Mr Brown, and they have an awful lot of capability, without needing outside help, but sharing the platform with friendly states could offer Tehran substantial political capital. "Anything is possible and theoretically Iran could copy quite a lot from the basic platform, but it's the control stuff and the avionics that make it usable." Any form of unmanned technology is potentially very important to Iran, Russia and China, says Elizabeth Quintana, a senior researcher in air power, at the Royal United Services Institute. Continue reading the main story In enemy hands 1944: US B-29 bombers forced to land in USSR, later developed by Soviets as Tu-4 1945: German V-2 rockets copied by the West 2001: EP-3 intelligence US aircraft crashes on Hainan Island, China 2011: US stealth helicopter left in Abbottabad, Pakistan, after Bin Laden raid "But how useful it is depends on how intact the aircraft is, and whether it had any self-destructive, self-disabled mechanisms on board. I suspect it had some but it looks like it's in one piece, from the pictures and video." It would be capable of taking images and listening in, she says, so there's quite a lot of information on board, not least about the platforms themselves - how they work, how they communicate with satellites and how the Americans operate them. And identifying the materials that enable the drone to absorb radiated energy - rather than reflect it back - would also be very useful. "I don't know the level of scientific expertise available to Iran, but if it's true that Russia and China have sent delegates then they do have the expertise."
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#1. To: Tatarewicz (#0)
I'm not sure what it is, but something is wrong with this story somehow. A bunch of hypotheses are bouncing around in my head. 1. In a large-scale effort like ME theater of the WOT things could go awry with command and control, and a slip up somewhere could result in the loss of some real valuable hardware. 2. The Iranians/Russians have perfected systems for stealing our robot flights, and have pulled off the necessary demonstration operation. 3. We let one go: a) through treason or subversion, b) for other reasons including intentional deception. It's mark of the world of secrecy we live in that, in the wake of these stories, you're only left with the wildest kind of speculations and questions that never get answered.
Russian protesters distracted during Moscow demo against Putin... by 'UFO' flying over Kremlin By Chris Parsons Amateur footage in the Russian capital at the weekend caught the 'sighting' of the flying object in the sky, which drew bemused looks from onlookers who were meant to be protesting. As with most apparent alien craft sightings, the quality of the footage and picture is poor, and the shape or size of the object is difficult to work out. Intelligent life? Amateur footage captures the distinctly helicopter-like UFO 'sighting' in Moscow on Saturday Intelligent life? Amateur footage captures the distinctly helicopter-like UFO 'sighting' in Moscow on Saturday Mystery: Russian onlookers were said to comment that the apparently foreign craft was flying without the use of an engine or rotor blade Mystery: Russian onlookers were said to comment that the apparently foreign craft was flying without the use of an engine or rotor blade The strange craft appears to have legs or blade-like parts similar to that of a helicopter. But witnesses to the UFO 'sighting' insisted it looked like it was flying without a rotor blade or engine. More... 'Putin's a louse': Thousands protest over election fraud in largest public show of discontent in post-Soviet Russia Is this an alien spacecraft parked next to Mercury? Giant object the size of a planet has astronomers baffled Enjoy a close encounter with a loved one at the space hotel - and who knows where you might wake up Shocked onlookers climbed trees to grab a closer look at the mysterious craft which seemed to be observing the 25,000 people who had made their way down to Bolotnaya Square to protest on Saturday. Instead of making clear their opposition to Vladimir Putin's United Russia party's contentious victory in elections the week before, the throng were more concerned with watching the skies and the UFO hovering above them. Distracted: Protesters had planned to make anti-government demonstrations in Moscow, but ended up gazing at the sky towards the apparent alien craft Distracted: Protesters had planned to make anti-government demonstrations in Moscow, but ended up gazing at the sky towards the apparent alien craft Standing room only: An aerial view of the rally in Bolotnaya Square during the protest in which the alleged UFO sighting was made Standing room only: An aerial view of the rally in Bolotnaya Square during the protest in which the alleged UFO sighting was made Paranormal writer Michael Cohen said of the latest supposed spot: 'NASA recently admitted that there is a good chance that aliens are monitoring are civilization through the use of 'unmanned' probes. 'Could the craft in these videos from Bolotnaya Square be one of those crafts? 'It is highly possible that this craft is one of these and aliens are taking an interest in our political affairs.' Russia has been rocked by mass protests against elections in early December which pro-democracy organisers say were rigged in favour of Vladimir Putin and his party. Comments (80) I have admittedly witnessed an odd aerial object before, the likes of which I still cannot ID to this very day, however, this would appear to me to be a spy drone courtesy of the Russian government, and of course via their current KGB brand. Come on folks, I certainly believe that other life exists in the cosmos, and I also believe we are or have at some point been visited by such, but given the events here, and considering modern technological gadgetry, I believe the logical conclusion is that this drone is man-made, and is being used for crowd surveillance. A bit of common sense goes a long ways! - James K., Washington, D.C. I bet it was something like a gopro copter, but probably the russian police model. Videodrones, now available in a police state near you! Also available as civilian models from multiwiicopter or parrot gopro, to film your event or spy on your neighbors! Yaaaay! UFO? noooooope, Chuck Testa. - Andy, Bern SW, Yes, in the strict definition of the word what is seen in the video is a UFO, but it doesn't mean it is an Extra Terrestrial UFO. We cannot deduce from the video alone whether it is or is not an ET UFO. Looking at the behavior of the object, (strictly subjective) it doesn't have a high probability of being an ET UFO. The data with the highest probability of being an ET UFO: radar reports, US Air Force admissions, commercial and military pilot testimony, direct video downlinks from NASA Shuttle missions, etc show acceleration from 0 to 1000's mph in less than 1s, sharp 90 degree turns AT 1000's mph without slowing down, and no sonic boom while they accelerate from 0 - 1000's mph even if the craft are within range to hear a sonic boom. - John G., SSF USA, hxxp://images.chistoprudov.ru/lj/reportage/bolotnaya_10_12_11/06.jpg - armicron, Russia, Rating 10 Try googling Draganflyer X8 helicopter There's a YouTube video of the the thing in flight and it look remarkably similar to the above stills of a multirotor aircraft. It even comes with an inventory of 1080p video cameras. - will james, SW Florida,
That's no helicopter... YouTube video of webpage, and towards the end a video capture of the video linked above... Well it looks like it really WAS a drone after all... From Russia Today
#2. To: randge (#1)
Looks like Russians already have their own drones:
#3. To: Tatarewicz (#2)
(Edited)
"The real deal is this: the ‘royalty’ controlling the court, the ones with the power, the ones with the ability to make a difference, with the ability to change our course, the ones who will live in infamy if we pass the tipping points, are the captains of industry, CEOs in fossil fuel companies such as EXXON/Mobil, automobile manufacturers, utilities, all of the leaders who have placed short-term profit above the fate of the planet and the well-being of our children." - James Hansen
#4. To: Tatarewicz (#2)
"The real deal is this: the ‘royalty’ controlling the court, the ones with the power, the ones with the ability to make a difference, with the ability to change our course, the ones who will live in infamy if we pass the tipping points, are the captains of industry, CEOs in fossil fuel companies such as EXXON/Mobil, automobile manufacturers, utilities, all of the leaders who have placed short-term profit above the fate of the planet and the well-being of our children." - James Hansen
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