[HN Gopher] DARPA Shows Concepts for the Future of VTOL Uncrewed...
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       DARPA Shows Concepts for the Future of VTOL Uncrewed Aerial Systems
        
       Author : jdmark
       Score  : 48 points
       Date   : 2024-06-15 14:35 UTC (8 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.darpa.mil)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.darpa.mil)
        
       | rschiavone wrote:
       | Someone at DARPA is a fan of Ann Leckie's novels
        
       | flaminHotSpeedo wrote:
       | It's interesting to me how the article mentions the large payload
       | requirement, then the only example of what that payload _could_
       | be is reconnaissance.
       | 
       | I always find it interesting how and when people or groups
       | emphasize or de-emphasize the "death and destruction" aspect of
       | military equipment
        
         | thunderbird120 wrote:
         | Reconnaissance is a prominent role but is hardly the only thing
         | that these could be used for. What exactly is possible is going
         | to vary a lot between designs but with the right design you can
         | do electronic warfare, acting as a communications node,
         | submarine hunting with sonobuoys, light strike using small
         | precision munitions, light logistics for when someone needs
         | literally 1 or 2 specific parts right this instant, and many
         | other things.
        
       | xixixao wrote:
       | Anduril is not on the list, but presumably wants to compete in
       | the space?
        
       | schuyler2d wrote:
       | It strikes me that US DARPA has a weird position where the more
       | military advantage can come from concentrated _high_ investments
       | then the US+allies /beneficiaries win. (Ie fewer expensive toys
       | should win against many cheap toys)
       | 
       | If Mil technology is too cheap then US advantage is much lower.
       | 
       | So part of that is just keeping SOTA moving quickly. But also
       | centrally-deployed tech having outsized longevity (things like
       | satellite deployment or AI or the anti-missile battery-type
       | stuff).
       | 
       | For this launching from a larger vessel maybe.
        
       | mistrial9 wrote:
       | unmanned machines on the land or in the air, that can decide to
       | kill a human, are one of the legitimate existential fears around
       | AI advances right now. source: G7 white robe guy this week
        
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       (page generated 2024-06-15 23:00 UTC)