"Dav1936531" wrote in message
...
I am seeing all kinds of pics comming out of Iraq of the jihadis mulling
around
in the streets carrying RPG's and AK's.

I was just wondering if it would be possible to make a Predator drone with
a
.50 caliber sniper rifle in it to pick these guys off. Say, put a magazine
with
50 or 100 rounds onboard, loiter the drone over bad guy areas, spot them
with
the Predator's optical systems, and zap them. Human snipers using the .50
have
kill shots from over 1 mile away.

Of course, linkage between the optical system and the gun's aim point
would
have to be worked out.

I realize the Predators can fire the Hellfire (IIRC), but in civilian
areas
using this may be too politically inexpediant.

Would the Predator be stable enough for something like that?

I would think, if it is, you could make a platform that could take care of
large numbers of enemy with minimum civilian damage and at low cost.
Further,
the jihadis would live under the constant threat of instant termination
whereever they are identifiable by the Predator operator as weapons
carrying
enemies.



It's a good idea, though a gun system would probably not work as well as one
would like.

However, a directed energy weapon would be absolutely perfect. A small
high-powered laser mounted on a gimbal beneath the drone would be ideal for
picking off small to mid-size individual moving targets, at almost any
angle, accurately and with truly minimal collateral damage. It would track
targets just like a laser designator, but with more bang. We could pick out
and fry people, trucks, cars, etc., instantly and without any major
commotion. No big explosion, no nothing. Just zap, you're dead.

I don't know if a system package that could fit on the Predator is currently
available, but it's definately a good idea; and with all the past and curent
research regarding directed energy weapons, I can't imagine that we wouldn't
be able to get one flying sometime relatively soon.

I do know, however, that the Air Force has specifically requested that the
AC-130 gunship replacement (AC-X; whatever that may be), be equipped with
directed energy weapons.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/milita...craft/ac-x.htm