Monday, March 29, 2010

DARPA - More futuristic unmanned vehicles on the way!

True, some of DARPA's unmanned vehicles may be on the way, but at what cost, what feasibility, and what purpose?  As an outsider, at least to this outsider, the fatal flaw is glaring:  what will unmanned vehicles do when faced with true opposition?  An opposition that is just as angered and just as determined as we would be if our country invaded.  An even more disturbing question is whether or not the $multiple-billion robots will be of assistance to the troops in the field, even when ready. 

Tremendous sums of money are being spent on this and other technologies (you know the ones, robot insects, cloaking uniforms that make the user unseen to the enemy, etc.).  Eight years in Afghanistan and seven in Iraq.  What has JEIDDO to show for it?

I'm writing Johanna Jones (Johanna.jones@darpa.mil) with my yearly request to participate in the unmanned vehicle program - as an opponent.  My purpose is to determine if the robot vehicles can stand up to one person armed with:

  1. A Model 1903 Springfield rifle fitted with a 6X scope and 26 rounds of ammunition (of my choosing) for a 25 vehicle field.
  2. $200.00 cash, from DARPA for purchasing legal and non-explosive materials at hardware stores or the Internet.
  3. $250.00 my own money for purchase of more items listed in point #2.
  4. The DARPA team is allowed Thermal, Middle and Near Infrared scanning equipment to find my location.
  5. DARPA will allow me only 24 hrs. to prepare.
The research programs from original idea to field operations is drastically different in insurgencies, as illustrated in the triangles below.  Simple, true, but to the point - yes.


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