New JET-Powered Drone Can Kill 1,800 Miles From Home Base (Afghanistan/Pakistan Patrol)

[KoKo]

New Jet-Powered Drone Can Kill 1,800 Miles From Home Base
By Allen McDuffee



Image: General Atomics

The U.S. may be forced to withdraw troops completely from Afghanistan by the end of the year. That’s bad news if you’re the CIA and your lethal drone flights over neighboring Pakistan rely on the close proximity of Afghan airstrips.

Not surprisingly, the defense industry has already produced a solution: a new jet-powered drone that can range 1,800 miles from the nearest base.

The Avenger (formerly Predator C), whose prototype flew its first flight in 2009, is operationally ready after a new round of tests completed last month, according to its maker, General Atomics. Based on the company’s more well-known MQ-9 Reaper drone, Avenger is designed to perform high-speed, long-endurance surveillance or strike missions, flying up to 500 mph at a maximum of 50,000 feet for as long as 18 hours.

Compared to its earlier prototype, Avenger’s fuselage has been increased by four feet to accommodate larger payloads and more fuel, allowing for extended missions. It can carry up to 3,500 pounds internally, and its 66-foot wingspan is capable of carrying weapons as large as a 2,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).

Switching from propeller-driven drones to jets will allow the CIA to continue its Pakistan strikes from a more distant base, if and when the U.S. is forced to withdraw troops entirely from neighboring Afghanistan.

According to a recent Los Angeles Times report, the Obama administration is actively making contingency plans in Central Asia to continue its drone surveillance and missile attacks in northwest Pakistan, because current security arrangements with Afghanistan require U.S. military protection of CIA drone bases.

Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel acknowledged that defense and intelligence officials are scouting alternative bases for drones in the face of a withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2014.

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2014/02/avenger/

[Ichingcarpenter]

1. Unit cost

Unit cost
$12 million to $15 million

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

[LiberalEsto]

2. Long-distance death machines

The CIA must be very, very happy

[NuclearDem]

3. Yay more unaccountable remote controlled death machines!

SKYNET is happy!

[CFLDem]

4. Good deal

The explosion in drones like this is really a testament to the genius of aviation engineers and scientists.

And I doubt we'll hear too many people complaining when this tech starts to benefit the civilian market.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. What a bunch of Crap

Murder and destruction will benefit mankind........ someday.

[CFLDem]

7. Right...

Which is why you eagerly offered evidence to the contrary.

[Ichingcarpenter]

8. Oh..... you can now see into the future

on the benefits of the military industrial complex.

How about these apples?





Killing our way to peace



http://rossbishop.com/blog/2013/05/07/killing-our-way-to-peace/

[CFLDem]

13. Emotions are a poor substitute for logic

which you have not offered up so far.

[Comrade Grumpy]

6. Good investment. Why waste our money on things like food stamps when we can have this?

[Ichingcarpenter]

9. They are only $15 million a piece

who needs teachers when you can teach the world a lesson.

[Cali_Democrat]

10. Excellent piece of engineering. Very impressive....

But perhaps America should put its talents to better use? Do we have to use our talents on killing machines?

[KoKo]

12. We Agree! "Do we have to use our talents on killing machines."

That's what I wonder, also. So...it saves money on troop support: meals, salaries, housing and rehab for injuries.

BUT...what does this REALLY MEAN?

It means from past experience that we fly over countries we PAY OFF to KILL THEIR CITIZENS with the Collateral Damage of Wedding Parties, children and families...all gone to save bucks on soldiers pay and care?

It's disgusting! Using High Tech which kills and allows us to do this WITHOUT DECLARING WAR... We do it by Stealth! ...and the Payoffs to Oligarch's who rule countries where the people are exploited.

[KoKo]

11. Kick for Drone Jets Replacing Military and Military Contractors?

Cost Efficient some say... Will it be?