Pentagon Seeks to Shrink WeaponsApril 22, 2009
The U.S. military is quietly testing missiles the size of 5-pound loaves of bread, looking for smaller, lighter yet deadlier and more precise weapons to use in its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The two-foot long Spike missile is about a quarter of the size of the next-smallest missile, according to a report in the Los Angeles Times. An unmanned aircraft, like a Predator, could carry as many as a dozen Spikes compared to the two or three 100-pound Hellfire missiles it can carry onboard at present. In addition, smaller unmanned, aircraft, which in the past could be used only for surveillance, could be re-deployed as offensive weapons using the new class of missiles. What’s more, each Spike missile will cost an estimated $5,000 compared to $100,000 for the current generation of guided missiles, according to the article. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been emphasizing exactly these types of weapons as he attempts a monumental shift in military spending priorities from large Cold War systems to weapons that can be deployed in unconventional wars. |
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