Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in the battle space are subject to all the dangers of modern warfare. So often we think of a UAV as immune to being shot down, not so, in fact a SAM or surface to air missile can easily take one out. And many countries have SAMs and in the future more will. There are Russian, Chinese and EU countries with shoulder launches SAMs, which are quite problematic for UAV longevity in the battlespace. Many smaller SAMs and the shoulder launched type home in on the heat signature of the exhaust. If the UAV is a predator type drone being flown telematically then there are also issues with time delays from the satellite or ground relays, which input flight controls in the event an incoming SAM needs to be evaded. Some are now designing programs which will disengage the UAV from the mission at hand automatically evade a surface to air missile and then go back to its original sequence and destination points for its battlespace surveillance mission. This is all well and good, however I propose another concept. Lets build a long hose out of carbon nanotube construction which while in the battlespace will drag behind the aircraft and allow the exhaust from the motor, provided it is a prop driven model to exit thru the hose which might be as much as 50 yards long, far enough away to not worry about risk of shrapnel upon explosion of the small shoulder fired SAM and close enough to attract the weapon being fired at it. Consider this in 2006. |
