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The Air Corp is to buy 2 tiny unmanned aerial vehicles for 300,000 Euros, commonly known as drones which can fly over sensitive areas and relay film back to technician's on the ground to reduce the risk of ambushes before troops are sent in
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From Today's Independent page 10Dr. Venture: Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?
Dr. Venture: Dean, you smell like a whore -
Robot plane to be used by Irish forces
Robot plane to be used by Irish forces
Sunday Independent
27/03/2005
DON LAVERY
A KEY weapon in Afghanistan and Iraq, an unmanned 'spy in the sky' robot plane, is to be used in Ireland.
The pilotless drones, called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have proved a vital element in surveillance of high risk areas by US, British and German forces in the two countries and in Bosnia.
They can be operated by a pilot thousands of miles away from a war zone giving commanders an unrivalled view of the battlefield.
Now two UAVs are to be acquired by the Irish Air Corps under an initial €300,000 programme and could be used to support anti-terrorist operations by Ireland's Special Forces, the Army Ranger Wing. They may also be used abroad on peace missions like Liberia allowing Irish commanders to see real time video footage by day or night from the drone operating far ahead of their patrolling troops.
One UAV, the American Predator, has been armed with missiles and was used to attack terrorist strongholds in Fallujah in Iraq. But the Irish UAVs will be smaller and simpler, to be used for roles which could include Border and sea surveillance; spotting for artillery fire, or acting in support of the Rangers. -
great news. Should be useful enough. Is 2 enough ?Comment
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Two is definitely not enough, but it's a good starting point."The dolphins were monkeys that didn't like the land, walked back to the water, went back from the sand."Comment
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Does anyone have any idea what specific aircraft have been selected?
For €300k you can forget about anything like the Predator or the Elbit Hermes 450. The Hermes 180 is more likely but probably stretching the budget also.Comment
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They are pretty cheap at €150,000 a pop so if they got 6 or 7 of them it would be a great asset for the AC. I wasnt overally surprised when i read the article. I always thought the AC would move towards UAV's. Its right up our street.
They should prove very benefical to the commander on the ground even if they are hacked down versions of the predator.
http://www.airforce-technology.com/projects/predator/Comment
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my money's on something more like the Shadow 200Dr. Venture: Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?
Dr. Venture: Dean, you smell like a whoreComment
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Isnt it about time the Air Corps started using target drones too?
Why do the air corps get them? Isnt battlefield surveillance an army task or is it all about demarkation? Who will fly them? Will UAV "Pilots" need to have gained their wings first?
The tender notice was only published last week,so nothing has been selected yet.
Title: IRL-Dublin: non-piloted aircraft
Awarding Authority: Department of Defence
Publication date: 23-Mar-2005
Application Deadline:
Tender Deadline Date:
Tender Deadline Time:
Notice Type: PIN Notices
Has Documents: No
Abstract: Nature and quantity or value of supplies or services for each of the
service categories: Hire of Aircraft.
Quantity of value: 1 000 000 EUR.
Additional Documents
There are no additional documents attached to this notice.
Contact Information
Main Contact: N/a
Admin Contact: N/a
Technical Contact: N/a
Other Contact: N/a
Full Notice Text
PRIOR INFORMATION NOTICE
Supplies
SECTION I: CONTRACTING AUTHORITY
I.1) Official name and address of the contracting authority: Department
of Defence, Infirmary Road, IRL-Dublin 7. Tel.: (01) 8042402. Fax: (01)
6706472.
I.3) Type of contracting authority: Central level.
SECTION II: OBJECT OF THE CONTRACT - SUPPLIES/SERVICES
II.2) Nomenclature
II.3) Nature and quantity or value of supplies or services for each of
the service categories: Hire of Aircraft.
Quantity of value: 1 000 000 EUR.
SECTION IV: ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION
SECTION VI: OTHER INFORMATION
VI.3) Date of dispatch of this notice: 9.3.2005.
Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.Comment
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wait a minute, that tender say's 1 million euro :confused:Dr. Venture: Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?
Dr. Venture: Dean, you smell like a whoreComment
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any way here's the shadow 200Dr. Venture: Why is it every time I need to get somewhere, we get waylaid by jackassery?
Dr. Venture: Dean, you smell like a whoreComment
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the shadow 200 doesnt look very robust.Comment
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Cheap, just glue a camera on and no need to train a pilot.It is only by contemplation of the incompetent that we can appreciate the difficulties and accomplishments of the competent.Comment
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The RFT also says "Hire of Aircraft", anyone any ideas as to what that's about?
IASComment
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It would appear that the contract is actually for the hire of "non-piloted aircraft", the contract being worth around 1 million euro.Comment
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So...are these going to replace some of the GASU aircraft in the observation role?"Everyone's for a free Tibet, but no one's for freeing Tibet." -Mark Steyn. What an IMO-centric quote, eh?
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