US 98 at Tyndall Blocked Due to Drone Crash

reply to post by Zaphod58


So in no way shape or form it can't be escalated to that? Just like the patriot act escalating to NDAA?

Hmmm why even take the chance?

reply to post by Skjord


The Shadowhawk weighs something like 14 pounds. A UAV that size can't carry a 108 pound missile, on any way shape or form. The military version can carry a 40mm grenade launcher, which can seriously damage your house and ruin your day, but it's not going to carry a Hellfire no matter how hard you try.

reply to post by Zaphod58

The icon was at my error not a comment on your accuracy ,I wasn't being sarcastic, just screwing up coms.
As I recall the glide ratio on "the brick" was a bit dismal.

reply to post by cavtrooper7


Sorry, not much sleep on my end last night with an early delivery this morning, so I had a bit of a short fuse.

reply to post by Zaphod58


That's not what I meant... So your saying no way shape or form these thing can't be flying over America?



C'mon now.

Again, why even take the risk? You start going down this path it will only get worse.

reply to post by Skjord


No, I'm saying that the fear mongers will have you believe that we're going to have thirty thousand Predators and Reapers overhead, when that is so far from reality it's not even funny, but the reality doesn't scare people and sell stories. The reality is that while a very small number will be Predators operated by agencies like CBP, the vast majority of them will be operated by the police, who aren't getting $20+ million dollar UAVs. They're getting small Shadowhawk style systems that are have launched or user a backpack transportable catapult to launch. And no matter how hard you try, a micro-UAV isn't carrying a large weapons system.

reply to post by Zaphod58


So it's something that could never happen? Why not prepare for the worse?

What a completely narrow mind set. Just like people thought the Patriot Act could never happen, NDAA and NDRP happened.

Again, why even go down this path?

reply to post by Skjord


Show me where the hell I said that. Sure me one time. I'm sick of people putting words in my mouth when I try to get actual facts out. Apparently that's something stupid, and I should be running around screaming we're all going to get hit with a hellfire, and the sky is falling.
What a narrow mindset to only think the worst is the truth.

reply to post by whyamIhere
Do you think one falling on my home would count towards the "terrorism insurance" that Allstate has listed on my homeowner's policy?
I may have to check since I was just about to drop that coverage if it is allowed in WA state but then if a drone falls while pursuing a terrorist, I may not be covered.....
Any ideas, anyone?

Anybody know if the "self-destruct" charge is simply to destroy the craft and prevent it from going further off course or if there is something like thermite packs attached to the circuit boards to completely evaporate the silicon chips? I mean if the thing is blown into smaller pieces, the integrated circuits could be recoverable and solid state drive memory could still be intact. Or the actual firmware and so on....

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by Skjord

 

Show me where the hell I said that. Sure me one time. I'm sick of people putting words in my mouth when I try to get actual facts out. Apparently that's something stupid, and I should be running around screaming we're all going to get hit with a hellfire, and the sky is falling.
What a narrow mindset to only think the worst is the truth.

---
yea funny how that happens huh? people think they can spout there opinions, which they can and then go ahead and help themselves to shoving words into peoples mouths, lol
Kinda like, hey can I grab a beer? sure, then go and take the whole 12pk and help yourself to some pie, then walk into your wife's bedroom...you get the hint bruh....

reply to post by Arnie123

Yes,,,civilians...The subject is lost to their feelings and opinions(Get to the point for Christ's sake) and their military opinions,historical knowledge,and manners,utterly a deluded path ending how ever they should favor it because obviously it's on the internet.
We vets have historical ,technical and ACCURATE information we tell you here.It DOES trump opinion and feelings to us because reality is something we define as cut and dry.We had to we won. If there were drones shooting up the place the air force would see bases get overrun shortly after such acts not mention the pilots who took their oaths to the Constitution a bit more seriously than our leaders have.
So please trust us,we aren't lying here.It's like arguing math a physicist.

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Originally posted by Bilk22
reply to post by MDDoxs

 

Yes we're all much safer because we now have flying bombs above us - and they're not the enemies

Indeed.

But perhaps its not the public at large the drones are protecting

Perhaps this is all to reinforce the grip the federal government and those pulling the strings above that.

Now, i am not inferring that this crash was the result of a order by the government, but it has been there mandate to increase the number of drones across the U.S.

Isn't it funny how we get a couple terrorists attacks and the federal government is all up in arms to "protect us", and yet there are more people terrorized, harassed, threatened and even killed by the police state that consists of DHS, a militarized police force and they narry lift a finger to put a stop to the inherent dangers.


Its pretty obvious the intention is not to protect us, but to protect themselves.

Originally posted by MDDoxs

Originally posted by butcherguy

This closure is being done strictly as a precautionary measure due to fires resulting from the crash and a small self-destruct charge carried on board the drone.

Source

So, if one happens to fall in a populated area, we have a 'small' explosive charge that detonates when it crashes.
Nice.
They don't need to arm the drones, they are dangerous enough as is.

Exactly, as i mentioned before; God forbid if one of these drones comes crashing out of the sky with a payload of missiles, ontop of the self destruct mechanism.

With the air ways being increasingly congested with these things, I fear it wont be long until something like the above happens.

Using this sort of logic, maybe all passenger aircraft and cargo/freight air traffic should be permanently grounded?
Then all the crazies can move on to worrying about cars, trucks, buses, vans...then maybe ships too?
I'm sure eventually bicycles wont be safe according to some people.

Originally posted by cavtrooper7
reply to post by Arnie123

 

Yes,,,civilians...The subject is lost to their feelings and opinions(Get to the point for Christ's sake) and their military opinions,historical knowledge,and manners,utterly a deluded path ending how ever they should favor it because obviously it's on the internet.
We vets have historical ,technical and ACCURATE information we tell you here.It DOES trump opinion and feelings to us because reality is something we define as cut and dry.We had to we won. If there were drones shooting up the place the air force would see bases get overrun shortly after such acts not mention the pilots who took their oaths to the Constitution a bit more seriously than our leaders have.
So please trust us,we aren't lying here.It's like arguing math a physicist.

You nailed it bro, that's exactly my point, people...even the folks here on ATS some how have it in there mind that our Government and military is a lost cause, I even had a poster on here once say that the military is, "no longer our friends and that we should shun them", are you flippin serious???
I took an oath as well as every other ENLISTED service member has and the military in its entirety. I hold that oath, sure some bad orders here and there, but do you really believe that I am going to follow an order to kill my fellow American? think real hard about that, I'll agree that I can be a lunatic and rather shred SOB and A-hole kind of person, especially at work where Sh*t talk is prevailant, but that doesn't make me less then human and looking for blood and senseless killing.
We are not the bogey man, we have done things, we have worked on hardware that's classified to the everyday people, we know from experience and to think some dude in his parents basement, locked up with hot pockets and a WOW shirt, doing arm chair research on google would know better on the subject then said people working on the systems and actually have an idea on how it works is crazy, look here high speed, how about you iron mike across the lawn......without the WOW shirt.....
I considered the option for being a DRONE OPERATOR myself, they are afterall looking for E4-E6 NON-P, with a 6 year re-up on their contract, wouldn't mind chillin in Nevada at the up-link station in a nice air conditioned room, beats the hell out of the motorpool, that's for damned sure...its so strange, only in the motorpool, even on a cloudy day, its gotta be HOT with the SUN beating relentlessly on us and all the clouds seem to skirt on the outside leaving a nice big open hole in the sky for our friend, the sun.

Isn't it funny how we get a couple terrorists attacks and the federal government is all up in arms to "protect us", and yet there are more people terrorized, harassed, threatened and even killed by the police state that consists of DHS, a militarized police force and they narry lift a finger to put a stop to the inherent dangers.

Its pretty obvious the intention is not to protect us, but to protect themselves.

---
Now I'm not saying that has happened, but have you actually seen an incident that went down according to what your saying? or did you just read a couple of stories about it online and it touched your heart and threw your fist up into the air screaming, "NNNOOOOooooo......"???
because I have yet to see that happen at all, I mean I see it online and in the news, but nothing personal or traveling and I travel by plane a lot, the US GOV spends a lot of money sending people to schools to learn different assets in different places.
I have yet to see it, have you?
But I'm curious about your last line,
"Its pretty obvious the intention is not to protect us, but to protect themselves"
nevermind intentions, regardless of that, but they have to protect themselves anyways...am I right? even if there intentions are to protect us, they still have to protect themselves, you see where I am going with this?
just curious.

reply to post by evc1shop


It's designed to break the aircraft apart, and bring it down immediately. Anything that could be recovered is fairly obsolete anyway, as the aircraft (for the QF-4) is a 1950s design. The QF-16 is more recent but the ones that will be used are Block 10-15 aircraft so 1970s.

Originally posted by butcherguy

This closure is being done strictly as a precautionary measure due to fires resulting from the crash and a small self-destruct charge carried on board the drone.

Source

So, if one happens to fall in a populated area, we have a 'small' explosive charge that detonates when it crashes.
Nice.
They don't need to arm the drones, they are dangerous enough as is.

Never mind the explosives planted in the drone (although this didn't stop Iran getting a US drone down safe and sound did it!), we want to worry more about the jet fuel these things are carrying...the fuel can bring down skyscrapers alone...apparently!

reply to post by MysterX


Would you prefer that they didn't put them in? The QF-4/-16 are both big enough they will ruin a lot of days if they go out of control. With a charge on them they can prevent them from making a lot of bad days.

MDD

Did you know they've been flying Q series aircraft at Tyndall for decades?

Mostly they are used for high tech target practice, and sometimes they get to actually shoot one down.

So that one would crash from time to time must be expected. Thankfully nobody was hurt.

USAF has been operating all manner of drone aircraft since 1950 or so.