This is a discussion on Drone Mounted Technology That Can Detect People in Buildings within the World Armed Forces forums, part of the World Strategic Defence Area category; I'm sure at least some of you are familiar with the cryptic references that began appearing in 2007 to UAV ...
I'm sure at least some of you are familiar with the cryptic references that began appearing in 2007 to UAV drone mounted technology that, according to Bob Woodward and others, were one of the reasons that the US military was able to kill large numbers of Al Qaeda operatives in Iraq coinciding with the beginning of the surge there.
For some background, you can read this (this article also has some good indications of the nature of this technology): What Is Woodward’s ‘Secret Weapon’ in Iraq? | Danger Room | Wired.com
I think we can fairly conclude that this system/s are part of the reason that the campaign of drone strikes in Pakistan has meet with increased success in the last year or so.
So the question I'm asking is what is the nature of this technology? I've read some interesting speculation about ultra-wideband radar being able to do the sort of thing that Woodward and others alluded to (i.e. seeing people through buildings).
Here's one theory that I've read about, and I'd like to get the take of the SDF community on it.
This US Army report details technology that is very applicable to finding individual people within buildings: http://www.arl.army.mil/arlreports/2008/ARL-TR-4403.pdf
For a more simplified overview/history of this technology read this: [URL="http://www.slate.com/id/2200292/"]
So SDF, what's DARPA been up to lately?
More generally we can use this thread to talk about the recent string of success that the US has had in apprehending or killing Taliban/Al Qaeda figures, with the capture of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban governors of Kunduz and Baghlan provinces, and the killing of Sirajuddin Haqqani's brother today. My theory? Something changed in the Pakistani decision making process, and the ISI decided it was in their interest to do away with some of these people. Why is anyone's guess but it might have something to do with the moves to negotiate with the Taliban.
Last edited by bd popeye; 02-19-2010 at 02:55 PM.
Battles are won by slaughter and maneuver. The greater the general, the more he contributes in maneuver, the less he demands in slaughter.
-Winston Churchill
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