Persistent combat systems deployed by penetrating air

[shin_getter]

The existence of air mobile ground forces is testament that dropping explosives from aircraft is not the solution to everything. The development of sensors, propulsion systems and computer intelligence means that there is a whole spectrum of systems possible between air dropped man and air dropped explosives.

The simplest development is the addition of contact sensor with explosives: the air dropped mine. This one actually reaches service.
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It is that clear the huge family of systems is possible, for example:
For mines: Air deployed off route mine, Wide Area Munitions, self burying mines

Then there is air deployed UGV, where the combination is too huge to iterate.

Then one could drop a VTOL and have it get into action some time after the penetration event.
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There seems to be many roles possible for such weapons, from airfield disruption to undertaking a number of interdiction and air-mech missions.
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So what are some more complex projects in the category of persistent unmanned weapons deployed by penetrating air? I am surprised this is not a more popular line of research, is there a reason for it?

 

[Scott Kenny]

The existence of air mobile ground forces is testament that dropping explosives from aircraft is not the solution to everything. The development of sensors, propulsion systems and computer intelligence means that there is a whole spectrum of systems possible between air dropped man and air dropped explosives.

The simplest development is the addition of contact sensor with explosives: the air dropped mine. This one actually reaches service.
---------
It is that clear the huge family of systems is possible, for example:
For mines: Air deployed off route mine, Wide Area Munitions, self burying mines

Then there is air deployed UGV, where the combination is too huge to iterate.

UGVs are still highly unreliable in terms of not getting themselves stuck, without the extra challenge of throwing them out of an airplane. (Just ask the paratroopers how many times they get dropped into a forest or a rock garden.)

Then one could drop a VTOL and have it get into action some time after the penetration event.
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There seems to be many roles possible for such weapons, from airfield disruption to undertaking a number of interdiction and air-mech missions.
------
So what are some more complex projects in the category of persistent unmanned weapons deployed by penetrating air? I am surprised this is not a more popular line of research, is there a reason for it?

As far as VTOL drones like a quad go, I don't believe that they have enough range currently. They have maybe 30 minutes of flight time, and I can't call that very persistent.

 

[southwestforests]

I am surprised this is not a more popular line of research, is there a reason for it?

BMJ. 2007 Nov 17; 335(7628): 1014–1015.
doi: 10.1136/bmj.39398.491678.DB
PMCID: PMC2078651
PMID: 18006988
Land mines mostly affect civilians but medical care often inadequate
John Zarocostas

Land mines mostly affect civilians but medical care often inadequate

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

"
Land mines and other explosive remnants of war, including cluster munitions, claimed 5751 casualties—including 1367 people killed and 4296 injured—in 68 countries in 2006. Civilians made up three quarters of all victims, a global report says.

Overall, children—almost all boys—accounted for one third of civilian victims. In some places most casualties were children. In Afghanistan they accounted for 59% of casualties, Palestine 67%, Somalia 66%, Ethiopia 62%, Nepal 53%, Mozambique 49%, Vietnam 44%, the Democratic Republic of Congo 42%, and Laos 41%.

One quarter of casualties were military staff. “Deminers,” carrying out clearance activities, accounted for 1%. The report estimates the current global number of survivors at 473 000, “with many needing life long care.”

Last year's total is a 16% drop on 2005, and fewer than half the 11 700 new casualties reported in 2002, it says, and attributes the drop to the positive effect of the 1997 global treaty to ban mines and efforts of pressure groups.
"

About the source:

History of The BMJ | The BMJ

*/

www.bmj.com

"

History of The BMJ​

The BMJ is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. It published its first weekly edition on 3 October 1840 as the Provincial Medical and Surgical Journal before uniting with the London Journal of Medicine and publishing from January 1853 as the Associated Medical Journal. Four years later in January 1857, this merged journal became the British Medical Journal. The title was shortened to BMJ in 1988, and then changed to The BMJ in 2014."

 

[southwestforests]

effect of the 1997 global treaty to ban mines

In reference to that,

https://clintonwhitehouse6.archives.gov/1997/05/1997-05-16-fact-sheet-on-anti-personnel-landmines-ban-efforts.html

"
THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

---

For Immediate Release May 16, 1997
FACT SHEET

Banning Anti-Personnel Landmines

"Today I am launching an international effort to ban anti-personnel land mines. For decades the world has been struck with horror at the devastation that land mines cause... To end this carnage, the United States will seek a worldwide agreement as soon as possible to end the use of all anti-personnel land mines... We must act so that the children of the world can walk without fear on the earth beneath them."

President Clinton, Washington, DC, May 16, 1996

People in 64 countries, mostly in the developing world, face a daily threat of being killed or maimed by the estimated 100 million landmines in place today. Anti-personnel landmines (APL) claim morethan 25,000 casualties each year, obstruct economic development andkeep displaced persons and refugees from returning home. Mines will remain a growing threat to civilian populations for decades unlessaction is taken now.

New U.S. Policy Announced May 1996

To address this problem, on May 16, 1996, the President announced anew U.S. APL policy. This initiative sets out a clear path to a global ban on APL but ensures that as the United States pursues a ban, essential U.S. military requirements and commitments to our allies will be protected, as follows:

Global Ban. The United States is aggressively pursuing an

international agreement to ban use, stockpiling, production,
and transfer of anti-personnel landmines with a view to
completing the negotiation as soon as possible. The United
States views the security situation on the Korean Peninsula
as a unique case and in the negotiation of this agreement
will protect our right to use APL there until alternatives
become available or the risk of aggression has been removed.

Ban on Non-Self-Destructing APL. Effective one year ago,
the United States unilaterally undertook not to use,
and to place in inactive stockpile status with intent
to demilitarize by the end of 1999, all
non-self-destructing APL not needed to (a) train
personnel engaged in demining and countermining
operations, or (b) defend the United States and its
allies from armed aggression across the Korean
Demilitarized Zone.

Self-Destructing APL. Until an international agreement
takes effect, the United States reserves the option to
use self-destructing/self-deactivating APL, subject to
the restrictions the United States has accepted in the
Convention on Conventional Weapons, in military
hostilities to safeguard American lives and hasten the
end of fighting.


Annual Report. Beginning in 1999, the Chairman of the Joint

Chiefs of Staff will submit an annual report to the
President and the Secretary of Defense outlining his
assessment of whether there remains a military requirement
for the exceptions noted above.


Alternatives to APL. The President directed the Secretary of

Defense to undertake a program of research, procurement, and
other measures needed to eliminate the requirement for these
exceptions and to permit both the United States and our
allies to end reliance on APL as soon as possible.


Expanding Demining Efforts. The Department of Defense has

undertaken a substantial program to develop improved mine
detection and clearing technology and to share this improved
technology with the broader international community. The
Department of Defense is also significantly expanding its
humanitarian demining program to train and assist other
countries in developing effective demining programs.
..."