posted 05-03-2003 08:29 AM            

AHhhh!!! The SAME people bringing us SPYING hover drones.

I wonder how long it will be before they decide to turn those things loose against us useless eaters here in the U.S.? I wonder what the governments excuse will be?

I'm sure they will come up with the "non-lethal" "Homeland" verions that spit tear gas, knock-out gas, and rubber bullets.

Kind of reminds me of the Terminator 2 movie.

posted 05-04-2003 08:31 AM            

(Origionally broadcast April 03/2001)
Lone Gunman Pilot Episode:

>Langly: "Looks like a DoD file. Scenario 12D. Text file."
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Frohike: "What the... Hey Byers, Langly... Come look at this! Take a look at this." [He holds a blacklight bulb over an area of fluorescing carpet] "That's blood, and a lot of it."
Langly: "I thought your old man died in a car crash..."
Byers: "My father was dead long before the crash. He was murdered here.

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Demolition Man: "Byers, Bertram. Blue '92 Caprice. Yeah, we got it."
Frohike: "You know, I don't get it. You're saying somebody popped your father in his living room, then loaded him into his car and faked a car crash two miles away. Now, that's a hell of a trick. A dead man driving a car..."
Byers: "They managed it somehow.
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Byers: "We found this in the engine compartment of my father's car. You'll notice that none of the circuits have factory identifier numbers..."
Langly: "And this copper zigzag looks like, uh, an integrated antenna."
Byers: "Etched into the breadboard like a cell phone. We're thinking..."
Frohike: "If this received radio signals, and was clipped to the car engine's control module..."
Byers: "The speed of the car could be remotely controlled."
Frohike: "All you'd need is a handheld radio controller to operate the car."
Langly: "And make it look like a dead man was driving."
Frohike: "Mm-hmm..."
Kimmy the Geek: "Yes! I am the king! Numero uno, baby. Mm-mmm..."
Byers: "Find something?"
Kimmy the Geek: "Yeah, I wound up some government think tank's upload directory; user scenarios, ladies."
Byers: "These look like, counter-terrorism scenarios; war games, developed for the Defence Department."
Frohike: "What's Scenario 12D?" [Kimmy the Geek opens a file information window that reads; 'scenario_12D.txt, Domestic Airline In-Flight Terrorist Act']
Langly: "Airline terrorism? That doesn't make sense. Your father was murdered over a war game?"
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[Byers enters his father's living room and notices a pile of 'Lone Gunmen' newspapers on a bookshelf]
Bertram Byers: "John..."
Byers: "Dad..."
Bertram Byers: "What the hell are you doing? Why can't you stay out of this? Leave me buried?"
Byers: "What is Scenario 12D? We know, it's a war game scenario, that it has to do with airline counter-terrorism. Why is it important enough to kill for?"
Bertram Byers: "Because it's no longer a game."
Byers: "But if, some terrorist group wants to, act out this scenario, why target you for assassination?"
Bertram Byers: "Depends on who your terrorists are."
Byers: "The men who conceived of it in the first place. You're saying our government plans to commit a terrorist act against a domestic air..."
Bertram Byers: "There you go, indicting the entire government as usual. It's a faction, a small faction..."
Byers: "For what possible gain?"
Bertram Byers: "The Cold War's over, John. But with no clear enemy to stockpile against, the arms market's flat. But bring down a fully-loaded 727 into the middle of New York City; you'll find a dozen tin-pot dictators all over the world, just clamouring to take responsibility. And begging to be smart bombed."
Byers: "I can't believe it; this is about increasing arms sales?"
Bertram Byers: "Mm-hmm."
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Byers: "You said yourself, we don't know the full extent of this conspiracy, we can't trust any government official. Our only hope is to get on that plane."

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ND Man: "They're boarding."
Raymond Helm: [on mobile] "Then that's two problems solved."

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Byers: "Find anything?"
Bertram Byers: "The luggage hold's clear, if this thing can be trusted. What did you do, make it with your Erector Set?"
Byers: "You're absolute sure that this is the targeted flight?"
Bertram Byers: "This flight was chosen primarily for its visibility. It's scheduled to pass over Manhattan on its way to Boston."
Byers: "You said they, intend to bring this down in the middle of New York City? What if there isn't a bomb?"
Bertram Byers: "Well, how are they going to bring it down?"
Byers: "Same way a dead man can drive a car."

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Frohike & Langly: "What do you mean 'no bomb'?"
Byers: [on phone] "Langly, I need you to hack into the aircraft's onboard navigation system. We need to know where we're headed."
Frohike: "Okay, going to headsets. I'll clone the airphone's carrier, make them think we're sending a ground-to-air fax."
Langly: "That's one twisted star-69."
Frohike: "Ah, just get ready to ride the wave, hippie-boy."
Langly: "Just get me on that plane and I'll get you auto-pilot access."
Frohike: "How you going to do that?"
Langly: "Airline telemetry systems use processors similar to those found in CB radios."
Frohike: "I'm in. We got ourselves a conway."

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Byers: "What's your progress?"
Langly: [on phone] "I've hacked into the flight control system output."
Frohike: [on phone] "With a little bit of help."
Langly: [on phone] "It's what the brains of the plane is telling the little black box."
Frohike: [on phone] "Course, heading, altitude, hold, yaw, axis stabilisation, wha... What the heck's that?"
Langly: [on phone] "Is that what it looks like?"
Frohike: [on phone] "I think it is what it looks like."
Byers: "What does what look like? Langly: [on phone] "Modem protocols. Remote access; somebody on the ground's flying your plane."

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ND Man: "Bogie sir."
Raymond Helm: "Keep your course."

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Byers: "I need to know our flight plan."
Frohike: [on phone] "I'm mapping the data now."
Langly: [on phone] "Byers... Your flight's going to make an unscheduled stop. In exactly 22 minutes."
Frohike: [on phone] "The corner of Liberty and Washington. Lower Manhattan."
Byers: "World Trade Centre." [to Bertram Byers] They're going to crash the plane into the World Trade Centre."
--------------------------------------------
The Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) provides Air Force and joint battlefield commanders near-real-time, high-resolution, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery. In the last year, the Global Hawk provided Air Force and joint warfighting commanders more than 15,000 of these images to support Operation Enduring Freedom, flying more than 50 missions and 1,000 combat hours to date.

Cruising at extremely high altitudes, Global Hawk can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy, to give military decision-makers the most current information about enemy location, resources and personnel.

Once mission parameters are programmed into Global Hawk, the UAV can autonomously taxi, take off, fly, remain on station capturing imagery, return and land. Ground-based operators monitor UAV health and status, and can change navigation and sensor plans during flight as necessary. http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/global.html
http://www.military.com/NewContent?file=Wings_UAV
>DoD has a long – and in the opinion of some – storied history with unmanned aviation and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). DoD use of UAVs dates back to the Vietnam era where pilotless drones (e.g., Ryan 147 Firebee) and remotely-piloted vehicles (RPVs) were used to conduct operational reconnaissance.

These DoD approved definitions tend to be used interchangeably in many circles although they are subtly different. There are some proponents of the term, “unpiloted,” aerial vehicle rather than “unmanned” aerial vehicle in the interest of gender correctness. Unfortunately, “unpiloted” has some rather disconcerting connotations in aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may have found the best definition – remotely operated aircraft (ROA).

Arguably, UAVs have been in continuous service since the Vietnam era in a variety of types, shapes, and sizes, with a myriad of capability suites.<
>UAV Control - the other basic component affecting UAV capabilities. It is accomplished by three basic means, or combination of means:
Manual Control wherein the operator(s) execute direct hands-on control inputs from a ground control station to establish air vehicle flight path, speed, and altitude, and also pointing, and operation of the sensor package(s).

Pre-programmed Control wherein the operator(s) pre-plan the UAV mission profile and/or sensor package operation and upload or change mission requirements before and during the mission through the mission plan. Manual control override is available.

Fully Autonomous Control wherein the UAV mission profile and sensor package operation are totally planned from take-off to landing and uploaded prior to flight. Manual control override is available as an emergency procedure. <

All it takes is existing * technology, servos adapted to steering, throttle and brakes.

I'll bet our insane uncle Dod* will win that competition.

(9/11 just got 'splained BTW)