A few months back some of you dared to criticize my thoughts on modern warfare - I know, I know, I was shocked! I pointed out that the monster US aircraft carrier currently visiting Portsmouth might turn out to be the biggest waste of money in the history of warfare. Similarly, our two new mini-carriers currently being built at vast expense were likely to prove as useful in modern warfare as a replica of HMS Victory. To a chorus of hoots of derision I suggested that they were likely to be attacked by swarms of mini-drones containing every sort of 'nasty' you could think of and as they would cost approximately 0.00001% of an aircraft carrier the cost effectiveness battle was already won. Today I read this:
The PD-100 Black Hornet, manufactured by Prox Dynamics, is an air vehicle about the size of a man's finger. The UAV weighs 18 grams and now contains day and night-vision cameras that send still images or video back to an operator via a data-link. Designed for reconnaissance, the vehicle is incapable of attack or defense. But its size and ability to fly autonomously or semi-autonomously make it a clear precursor to the next generation of swarm robots. Welcome to the future of warfare.
At least 'over there' they are beginning to assess the huge significance of miniature warfare:
According to a recent report by the Center for New American
Security titled "The Coming Swarm: The Quality of Quantity," the
military is going miniature. Here's why:
That's problematic, according to the report, because the proliferation
among adversaries of smart munitions and increasingly accurate
weapons makes the decreasing numbers of ships and aircraft more
vulnerable than ever. Our very expensive war machines will soon
become very big strategic liabilities.
Can you see any of our admirals attempting to grapple with the implications of this new warfare? Not a chance! There's only one answer - call for Cpl. Duff!