The Russian company that gave the world the iconic AK-47 assault rifle has unveiled a suicide drone that may similarly revolutionise war by making sophisticated drone warfare technology widely and cheaply available. The Kalashnikov Group put a model of its miniature exploding drone on display this week at a major defence exhibition in Abu Dhabi where the world’s arms companies gather every two years to show off and market their latest wares. The tiny item was dwarfed by the tanks, armoured vehicles and fighter jets that were also on display. But it has as much potential to change the face of war as its older cousin, the AK-47, widely referred to simply as the Kalashnikov. With its low price, high efficiency and ease of use, the Kalashnikov rifle became the weapon of choice for revolutionaries and insurgents around the world, empowering disgruntled citizens against their governments in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Gadget and tech news: In pictures Show all 25 1 /25 Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gadget and tech news: In pictures Gun-toting humanoid robot sent into space Russia has launched a humanoid robot into space on a rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS). The robot Fedor will spend 10 days aboard the ISS practising skills such as using tools to fix issues onboard. Russia's deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin has previously shared videos of Fedor handling and shooting guns at a firing range with deadly accuracy. Dmitry Rogozin/Twitter Gadget and tech news: In pictures Google turns 21 Google celebrates its 21st birthday on September 27. The The search engine was founded in September 1998 by two PhD students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, in their dormitories at California’s Stanford University. Page and Brin chose the name google as it recalled the mathematic term 'googol', meaning 10 raised to the power of 100 Google Gadget and tech news: In pictures Hexa drone lifts off Chief engineer of LIFT aircraft Balazs Kerulo demonstrates the company's "Hexa" personal drone craft in Lago Vista, Texas on June 3 2019 Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures Project Scarlett to succeed Xbox One Microsoft announced Project Scarlett, the successor to the Xbox One, at E3 2019. The company said that the new console will be 4 times as powerful as the Xbox One and is slated for a release date of Christmas 2020 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures First new iPod in four years Apple has announced the new iPod Touch, the first new iPod in four years. The device will have the option of adding more storage, up to 256GB Apple Gadget and tech news: In pictures Folding phone may flop Samsung will cancel orders of its Galaxy Fold phone at the end of May if the phone is not then ready for sale. The $2000 folding phone has been found to break easily with review copies being recalled after backlash PA Gadget and tech news: In pictures Charging mat non-starter Apple has cancelled its AirPower wireless charging mat, which was slated as a way to charge numerous apple products at once AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures "Super league" India shoots down satellite India has claimed status as part of a "super league" of nations after shooting down a live satellite in a test of new missile technology EPA Gadget and tech news: In pictures 5G incoming 5G wireless internet is expected to launch in 2019, with the potential to reach speeds of 50mb/s Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Uber halts driverless testing after death Uber has halted testing of driverless vehicles after a woman was killed by one of their cars in Tempe, Arizona. March 19 2018 Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A humanoid robot gestures during a demo at a stall in the Indian Machine Tools Expo, IMTEX/Tooltech 2017 held in Bangalore Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures The giant human-like robot bears a striking resemblance to the military robots starring in the movie 'Avatar' and is claimed as a world first by its creators from a South Korean robotic company Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Engineers test a four-metre-tall humanoid manned robot dubbed Method-2 in a lab of the Hankook Mirae Technology in Gunpo, south of Seoul, South Korea Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures Waseda University's saxophonist robot WAS-5, developed by professor Atsuo Takanishi and Kaptain Rock playing one string light saber guitar perform jam session Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway resembling the giant panda is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A test line of a new energy suspension railway, resembling a giant panda, is seen in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A concept car by Trumpchi from GAC Group is shown at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Rex Gadget and tech news: In pictures A Mirai fuel cell vehicle by Toyota is displayed at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A visitor tries a Nissan VR experience at the International Automobile Exhibition in Guangzhou, China Reuters Gadget and tech news: In pictures A man looks at an exhibit entitled 'Mimus' a giant industrial robot which has been reprogrammed to interact with humans during a photocall at the new Design Museum in South Kensington, London Getty Gadget and tech news: In pictures A new Israeli Da-Vinci unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by Elbit Systems is displayed during the 4th International conference on Home Land Security and Cyber in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv Getty It remains a potent tool to this day: the Pentagon purchases second-hand Kalashnikov rifles for its allies in Syria and Afghanistan, rather than giving them more expensive American-made guns. The Kalashnikov drone – officially named the KUB-UAV – will likewise be simple to operate, effective and cheap, its manufacturers claim – and just as revolutionary. It will mark “a step toward a completely new form of combat,” said Sergey Chemezov, chairman of Russia’s state-owned Rostec arms manufacturer, which owns a controlling stake in Kalashnikov, according to Kalashnikov’s news statement on the launch. The KUB is 4ft wide, can fly for 30 minutes at a speed of 80 mph and carries six pounds of explosives, the news release says. That makes it roughly the size of a coffee table that can be guided to explode on a target 40 miles away ­– the equivalent of a “small, slow and presumably inexpensive cruise missile”, according to a report by the National Interest website. Whoever buys one will have the ability to steer a bomb with a high degree of accuracy unparalleled except by some of the US military’s smartest bombs, said Nicholas Grossman, a professor of international relations at the University of Illinois and author of the book “Drones and Terrorism”. “I think of it as democratising smart bombs,” he said. “It means disseminating smart bombs more widely. This would shrink the gap between the most advanced militaries and the smaller ones.” Suicide drones are not new. Isis pioneered the art of attaching explosives to commercially available drones and detonating them on advancing troops and enemy bases during the battles for the cities of Mosul and Raqqa in Iraq and Syria. Russian troops in Syria were targeted by the biggest-ever suicide drone assault in Syria last year, when a swarm of more than a dozen crudely assembled devices incorporating explosives and GPS guidance systems descended onto Russia’s Hmeimim air base in Syria. The US and Israeli militaries have incorporated suicide drones into their arsenals – but controls on the export of technology mean the devices aren’t shared outside a small circle of close allies. The KUB drone will be faster and more accurate, and will deliver twice the explosive charge and have a greater range than any of the crude homemade devices that have been patched together by terrorists, according to the Kalashnikov representatives at the exhibition. And unlike US and Israeli exploding drones, the KUB will be “very cheap”, said one of the Kalashnikov representatives. He declined to name the price and spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to communicate with the media. The target market will be “smaller armies” around the world, he said, meaning the availability of the KUB will bypass controls imposed by the US and its allies that are designed to keep weaponised drones out of the hands of their foes. The potential for terrorists to use drone bombs to carry out attacks is one of the biggest worries surrounding the proliferation of the technology, experts say. Two such drones were used in an apparent attempt to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in August. Recent shutdowns of airports in London, Dublin, New York and Dubai due to mysterious drone incursions demonstrate Western governments’ lack of readiness to address threats posed by drones, Mr Grossman said. Terrorists are more likely to continue to improvise their own ways of jury-rigging explosive drones using cheaply available commercial devices and their own bomb-making expertise rather than spend on a ready-made version, said Nick Waters, a former British army officer and drone expert. ✕ Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events The spread of kamikaze drones will also intensify efforts to counter them, Grossman pointed out. “This will definitely enhance the capabilities of various state and non-state actors, but it’s not something that can’t be countered,” he said. However, he added: “I’m quite nervous of the capabilities being unleashed without knowing where it will lead.” Washington Post<doc-sep>A Russian defense contractor, Kalashnikov Concern, named after one of the most famous small-arms designers of all time and infantry weapons supplier for Russian Ground Forces, is now selling a drone capable of carrying a small explosive charge—and diving onto its target to blow itself and the target into smithereens. Kalashnikov KUB-BLA drone is effectively a kamikaze meant to slip under the radar of traditional air-defense systems. In recent years Kalashnikov has expanded beyond the world of small arms into new weapons systems and even civilian vehicles. The company is supplying new AK-12 and AK-15 assault rifles and Chukavin sniper rifles set to arm the Russian Ground Forces, but it’s also building the new BAS-01G drone tank , a hovercycle , and even an electric car . This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. Kalashnikov introduced the KUB-BLA drone at the International Exhibition of Arms and Military Equipment IDEX-2019 in Abu Dhabi. The KUB-BLA has a three-kilogram (6.61-pound) payload, a flying time of 30 minutes, and a 130-kilometer-per-hour (80-mph) top speed. Typically, the payload is apparently a high-explosive charge. The drone is 47 inches wide by 37 inches long and 6.5 inches high. According to Kalashnikov, KUB-BLA attacks targets after the coordinates are fed into the vehicle. Alternately, it can attack a target based on an image uploaded to the control system. If true, this suggests that operators could pick an image of, for example, an American M-ATV vehicle and the drone would seek out similar-looking vehicles on the battlefield. That sort of target-recognition system is increasingly common in anti-tank missiles. Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, of which Kalashnikov is a subsidiary, is quoted as saying, “The charge on this complex (system) is delivered to the target, regardless of its secrecy and terrain, both at small and at high altitudes. This is a very accurate and most effective weapon that is very difficult to fight with using traditional air-defense systems.“ According to Kalashnikov the drone is “successfully tested and ready for use.” Source: Kalashnikov This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io<doc-sep>
Suicide Drone Russian weapons manufacturer Kalashnikov, maker of the ubiquitous AK-47 assault rifle, has unveiled a tiny drone that’s meant to destroy remote ground targets from a distance of up to 40 miles (64 km) away — by blowing itself up like a suicide bomber. The “high-precision attack unmanned aerial system” dubbed KUB-UAV in a press release, was revealed earlier this month at the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX), a major defense exhibition in the United Arab Emirates — and it could foretell the terrifying future of warfare. “This is a very accurate and most effective weapon that is very difficult to fight with using traditional air defense systems,” said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Kalashnikov’s state-owned parent company Rostec, in the press release as interpreted by Google Translate. Silent Predator The drone can reach speeds of up to 80 mph (130 km/h) and stay in the air for up to 30 minutes. The system could give troops on the ground a number of major advantages: the KUB-UAV is almost completely silent, and can carry up to 6.6 pounds (3 kg) of explosives. The drone will also be sold at a relatively low price. To some, that means a new era of warfare. “I think of it as democratizing smart bombs,” Nicholas Grossman, a professor of international relations at the University of Illinois, told the Washington Post. Death From Above The concept is also a big deal because of Kalashnikov’s stature in the world of military weaponry: its iconic AK-47 has been around since 1949 and is still in active use across the world today. It’s not the first time the idea has cropped up. The Islamic State has been attaching explosives to commercial drones for a number of years now. In one instance, dozens of drones equipped with explosives and GPS attacked Russian troops in Syria last year. How Kalashnikov’s new suicide drone will fit into the rules of conventional warfare remains unclear. READ MORE: The Kalashnikov assault rifle changed the world. Now there’s a Kalashnikov kamikaze drone. [Washington Post] More on drone warfare: New Warfare Drones are Small as a Quadcopter As a Futurism reader, we invite you join the Singularity Global Community, our parent company’s forum to discuss futuristic science & technology with like-minded people from all over the world. It’s free to join, sign up now!