Hezbollah implements "drone"

[LukeZ]

Everyone's probably seen this by now, but I still thought it worth the mention - Hezbollah used an unmanned drone (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060715/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel) to attack an Isreali ship today.

The article provides scant information about the aircraft itself, but does mention that Hezbollah has sent drones into Isreali airspace "twice in recent years." The speculation is that Hezbolla has been provided the drones by Iran.

So far as I might be willing to guess, this was probably not a true UAV in the sense of being autonomous: though I'm the last person to know, I'm willing to bet it was more of an RPV sort of thing. Even if the craft could fly autonomously I don't suppose they would have had the GPS coordinates of the (potentially moving) Isreali ship. Since the ship was off the coast of Beirut, the aircraft operators could have easily been quite close-by; in other words, within reasonable video transmission range.

This is perhaps not the use we would like to seem them put to, but it goes to show, once again - UAVs are with us to stay.

Please do not turn this thread into a political discussion - this is not the forum for such points of view (LtU&P (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=22) is). I am simply interested in the widening implementation of these tools on the global scene.


Luke

[Tom Harper]

Luke,

A lot of effort must have gone into the flight. It could not have been a two week development. I see uav as a motivator for education. I hope it does not become restricted as a national defense issue.

[poynting]

It now being reported that this was actually a missile, not a UAV.

[Sparky Paul]

Radio control has a long history of use by terrorists.
Anthing that can be used will be used.
Just be careful as to just how much information you might pass on... to someone living in Lebanon, say, who wants to "learn to fly" with a large gas motored plane that can carry a payload.
(I've seen this very request on RCU!)

[coafin]

Radio control has a long history of use by terrorists.
Anthing that can be used will be used.
Just be careful as to just how much information you might pass on... to someone living in Lebanon, say, who wants to "learn to fly" with a large gas motored plane that can carry a payload.
(I've seen this very request on RCU!)


If officials give a rule, that RC or UAV must fly near its stalling speed, it cant take any payload. Because of winds, there should be (stall. speed + 20mph) margin.

That is fine with me. Who needs payload, at least more than 100gr, which is safe amount.

[daddiozz]

Radio control has a long history of use by terrorists.
Anthing that can be used will be used.
Just be careful as to just how much information you might pass on... to someone living in Lebanon, say, who wants to "learn to fly" with a large gas motored plane that can carry a payload.
(I've seen this very request on RCU!)
...who needs a large gas plane?a GWS Slow Stick with the right setup can get 4 lbs(or more )aloft ....how much damage will a pound of c-4 do?

[Hovertime]

No need for a slow stick even, you could swim up to the boat with a charge... or train dolphins to do it as Soviets did...

I can only hope that modern paranoid society has enough common sense left to leave hobby UAV's and RC alone .... :rolleyes:

[typicalaimster]

No need for a slow stick even, you could swim up to the boat with a charge... or train dolphins to do it as Soviets did...


Some of the new stuff coming out would make it even easier. I don't know if anyone saw the SeaGlider (http://www.apl.washington.edu/projects/seaglider/summary.html). It's a "UAV" that shifts its batteries forward to dive and move forward. Once it's at depth it then shifts the batteries back and rises to the surface. It then figures out where it's at and dials home.

Now I believe the movie was Wing Commander. The weapon was called the skip jack missile. It would fire its thrusters for a small burst. It would then go silent and home in on a target. Then it would fire its thursters again. This sounds like science fiction becoming silent fact...

[Ensignnolo]

Video of drone shoot-down and wreckage:
http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/2006/08/08/Navigation/190/208369/Video+Israel+claims+F-16+shootdown+of+Iranian-made+Hezbollah.html

Ensignnolo

[JettPilot]

Everyone's probably seen this by now, but I still thought it worth the mention - Hezbollah used an unmanned drone (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060715/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_israel) to attack an Isreali ship today.

The article provides scant information about the aircraft itself, but does mention that Hezbollah has sent drones into Isreali airspace "twice in recent years." The speculation is that Hezbolla has been provided the drones by Iran.



Big deal. Germany used "drones" or UAV's to bomb London in WWII. They were a lot bigger and more destructive than anything used by Hezbollah. This is nothing new for an evil government to use drones, the only thing new is peoples paranoia about it now.

Hez went to a lot of trouble and effort for something that just did not work, thier primitive missles are far more dangerous than UAV's.



...who needs a large gas plane?a GWS Slow Stick with the right setup can get 4 lbs(or more )aloft ....how much damage will a pound of c-4 do?



4 pounds of C-4 in a drone or UAV is not likely to have any military signifance. The guy carrying 4 pounds of C-4 under his coat is more likely to kill people and do damage, and is much easier execute rather than trying to guide some UAV into a target.. daddioz is just anohter example of some guy getting all worked up over something "exciting and new" rather than seeing what is a real threat and is not.


JettPilot

[Myron]

Hey Guys,

Daddioz, You mention a slow stick carrying 4 lbs aloft... Maybe when pigs fly! No offense bro, but come on! A slowstick with the "right setup" is no longer a slowstick.. 4 lbs of dead weigh can be carried by some of the more "substantial" birds here but there aint no SS that will. For an aircraft to carry 4 lbs of dead weight it has to have at least a sound enough airframe not to crater under a load.. Probabaly in the neighborhood of at least 3 lbs.. Then you gotta power it, that will probabaly weigh at least another pound.. I guess you could do it with a large kite, but that isnt a SS so it doesnt really matter...

Myron

[LukeZ]

It may be besides the point now, but subsequent news articles have made clear that the original story, about the attack on the Isreali ship being undertaken by a drone, were incorrect (http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1153047486285390.xml&coll=2). In fact the attack was undertaken with a guided missile.

The whole thing probably wasn't really all that on-topic for this forum anyhow, though it would have been interesting to learn more about the UAV itself, had that actually been the weapon used. But it wasn't.


Luke

[Magician]

LukeZ,

You're right that the initial incident was incorrect. However, a more recent event took place where an Iranian made UAV was shot down by an air-to-air missle from an Israeli F-16. The info can be found here:

http://www.flightglobal.com/Articles/Article.aspx?liArticleID=208400