US draws up plans for nuclear drones

[malaise]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/02/us-plans-nuclear-drones
<snip>
American scientists have drawn up plans for a new generation of nuclear-powered drones capable of flying over remote regions of the world for months on end without refuelling.

The blueprints for the new drones, which have been developed by Sandia National Laboratories – the US government's principal nuclear research and development agency – and defence contractor Northrop Grumman, were designed to increase flying time "from days to months" while making more power available for operating equipment, according to a project summary published by Sandia.

"It's pretty terrifying prospect," said Chris Coles of Drone Wars UK, which campaigns against the increasing use of drones for both military and civilian purposes. "Drones are much less safe than other aircraft and tend to crash a lot. There is a major push by this industry to increase the use of drones and both the public and government are struggling to keep up with the implications."

The highly sensitive research into what is termed "ultra-persistence technologies" set out to solve three problems associated with drones: insufficient "hang time" over a potential target; lack of power for running sophisticated surveillance and weapons systems; and lack of communications capacity.

[BeHereNow]

1. A whole new dimension of EVIL.

I don't want to get out of bed on days like this...
but my garden beckons, thankfully.

BHN

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

2. It's a bird, it's a plane... No, it's... it's... wtf!

[Hatchling]

15. It's a bird, it's a plane... No, it's... it's...

Skynet!! Auuughh!

[Rageneau]

3. What kind of anti-human being even thinks up this stuff?

[gratuitous]

4. Alarmingly alarmist alarmism

If you've done nothing wrong, blah, blah, blah. We'll only use this technology against terrorists and very, very bad persons. If you are unlucky enough to get blown to bits because someone's trigger finger got itchy, well, you should just be more careful about who you hang around with. Here's $2,500 for your survivors, practically a king's ransom for the likes of you. Now shut up and let us get on with making the world safer for innocent people. Except your dead relative. There are terrorists everywhere, you know.

[Cali_Democrat]

5. ho-leee shit

This is madness.

[AtomicKitten]

6. That's nuclear-powered drones, not weaponized nuclear.

A slightly less terrifying prospect.

[FSogol]

10. Sorry, a single fact cannot get in the way of the Outrage du jour!

[Uncle Joe]

11. That's true but this still has a high potential for major disaster

should one crash or be shot down.

"It's pretty terrifying prospect," said Chris Coles of Drone Wars UK, which campaigns against the increasing use of drones for both military and civilian purposes. "Drones are much less safe than other aircraft and tend to crash a lot. There is a major push by this industry to increase the use of drones and both the public and government are struggling to keep up with the implications."

(snip)

A halt has been called to the work for now, due to worries that public opinion will not accept the idea of such a potentially hazardous technology, with the inherent dangers of either a crash – in effect turning the drone into a so-called dirty bomb – or of its nuclear propulsion system falling into the hands of terrorists or unfriendly powers."

[slackmaster]

7. The Russians are working on the same thing.

We cannot allow a Nuclear Drone Gap.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. "no one could have foreseen....."

[xiamiam]

9. disgusting..nt

[Fumesucker]

12. Unnecessary..

It won't be long before high altitude drones will be able to stay aloft indefinitely on solar power..

A manned around the world non-stop solar powered flight is in the development stages now, the plane has already stayed aloft more than 24 hours on solar power alone.

http://www.solarimpulse.com/

[hunter]

13. Same "atomic turbine" as the Batmobile, right?

wikipedia

Or maybe it's like the old unshielded atomic cruise missile designs. Sure it delivers a big nuclear bomb to its target, but it also gives everyone along its flight path debilitating or fatal doses of radiation. The weapon was considered "too provocative", and it was believed that it would compel the USSR to construct a similar device against which there was no known defense.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Pluto

They actually tested this engine:



I'm guessing it's now buried under the desert somewhere.

[BlueIris]

14. Beautiful. nt

[bart95]

16. what would we say about an opposing nation that did this? nt

[countryjake]

17. Oh goody!

I look forward to the fireworks when and if the Iranians "shoot" one of those down.

(Cause then there will at last be "justification" for attacking them, since they'll have finally "captured" that red-button nuclear technology, right?)



I vote for a ban on manufacturing anything nuclear-powered as I also do parking humongous disasters-waiting-to happen such as the USS Nimitz in highly populated areas of this world.