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Pi in the sky: The cheapest drone

The launch of the Raspberry Pi Zero is a powerful sign of just how cheap computing power is becoming. Priced at just $5, and about two inches by one inch, this is a genuine programmable computer. It manages to include a 1GHz ARM11 core processor and 512MB of SDRAM. ...

Active Camouflage Makes Small Drones Invisible

Big drones like the Reaper are conspicuous because of their engine noise; the Predator is described as making a noise like a lawnmower. Smaller tactical drones like the Raven, Desert Hawk and Maveric with electric propellers are inaudible above a few hundred feet, and...

The age of the personalised drone strike

BBC news reported today that a US drone strike had specifically targeted the individual known as ‘Jihadi John’ — a British citizen who joined ISIS and carried out a series of brutal executions which were shown in propaganda videos. This type of...

$564m for a bomber…$2,000 for a drone

It’s not just fighters that are getting ever more expensive according to Augustine’s Law as described in Chapter 4 of Swarm Troopers — bombers are also incredibly costly. The Air Force’s next-generation Long Range Strike Bombers should cost...

Swarm Troopers Scenario 1: Baiting The Bear

(These scenarios are a series of narratives in which the technologies described in Swarm Troopers are seen in action, in situations drawn from recent events) When the Ukraine turned against Russia and towards Europe in 2014, Russia annexed the Crimea, then supported...