Lethal Frisbee UAV to hunt down "evildoers"

We're big fans of Ultimate Frisbee or even frisbee golf, but we'd probably want to keep our loved ones away from this flying disc. The US Air Force has just awarded a grant to military contractor Triton Systems to develop a "Lethal Frisbee UAV," which can be launched from a device like a skeet launcher and operated by remote control or autonomously. According to the grant abstract, the Lethal Frisbee UAV's ultimate goal is to locate fortified foes and, to "provide precision fires to neutralize these hostiles." You know, come to think of it, this Lethal Frisbee reminds us a lot of this dude we know who's got a mean throw -- gets us in the face every damned time.

[Via DefenseTech]

[Teddy-O @ Sep 6th 2006 5:51AM]

That's so old. James Bond was on the receiving end of one of Oddjob's in Goldfinger. You'd think the USAF could come up with something better than recycling old James Bond movies.

[PEZ @ Sep 6th 2006 6:14AM]

This should have been done AGESSsss aagoooo

[Mull @ Sep 6th 2006 7:30AM]

Well, the dogs in the police force are doing stellar jobs of keeping the terrorist frisbees under control:

http://www.theonion.com/content/node/52117

[kevan @ Sep 6th 2006 8:06AM]

The PC Game - Command & Conquer had that when I was a kid.

[Crazy Legs @ Sep 6th 2006 9:06AM]

If you were such a big fans, you would know that the sport is called "Ultimate Disc", not "Frisbee". A Frisbee is an undersized disc and a trademark of the Whammo Corporation.

[Aaron @ Sep 6th 2006 9:37AM]

You know, lots of military technology eventually makes its way to the public market. So now they need a home version of this that you can toss across the street to spy on the neighbor girl or something.

[toodaloo @ Sep 6th 2006 9:58AM]

I remember years ago, a frisbee bomb was explored by the U.S. military, but it flopped because they found out frisbees sometimes come back at you with a boomerang effect. Hope they resolved that.

[Nate @ Sep 6th 2006 10:25AM]

Actually, toodaloo, it was just the Vietcong tossing the frisbee back. Turns out, they were huge fans of some game called "Ultimate Disc."

[TheChaz @ Sep 6th 2006 11:49AM]

Likewise with Disc Golf, Crazy Legs.

[Little Joe @ Sep 6th 2006 12:19PM]

tossing a frisbee with a bomb is ridiculous when you have a gernade launcher built into your assault rifle?

I cant see wanting to radio control a frisbee. I mean its not going to hoover for christs sake... just steer it until it lands.

The government needs to stop spending money on goofy ideas like this and put it towards actually resupplying soldiers in the field with things they really need.

Lame.

[Discraft Ultimate @ Sep 6th 2006 1:37PM]

Guess we'd better break out the old USAF cammo artwork for the disc stamp.

Forget the bombs: They should just teach the enemy how to play Ultimate, then we'd all be pals. Peace through discs... kinda like the sound 'o that.

http://discraft.com/ultprod.html

[kieran hervold @ Sep 6th 2006 1:39PM]

they're getting their ideas from "Dark Angel," methinks. this isn't a great picture of the police hover drone, but it gets the point across:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.propstore.co.uk/images/products/359/DroneTopFront.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.propstore.co.uk/showimage.php%3Fpid%3D4994%26iid%3D16374&h=344&w=500&sz=32&hl=en&start=3&tbnid=JneSPIzzT8N0WM:&tbnh=87&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddark%2Bangel%2Bdrone%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG

(what the boot is doing there, i dunno)
kieran

[Ray @ Sep 6th 2006 3:17PM]

I think that "we" disc players should unite, cause some confusion by using Flashflight (http://flashflight.com) light-up discs around any and every airforce base. Get them wigged out about "frisbee" shaped flyers.

[Pinkerton @ Sep 6th 2006 3:19PM]

Attention all hippies, stay away from the blue frisbees!

[Wyatt_Z @ Sep 6th 2006 3:19PM]

So, what's the par on Osama?

[Mystery DJ Motodom.com @ Sep 6th 2006 3:22PM]

This is gonna really wreak havoc on the world record distance for heaving a disc. Although, it is going to be pretty sweet for disc golf aces!

World Record Disc golf ACE

[jbulava @ Sep 6th 2006 5:42PM]

So they're basically making the Ripper from Unreal Tournament?!

http://images.google.com/images?q=unreal%20tournament%20ripper

[KapsLocked @ Sep 8th 2006 1:31AM]

I was thinking more the spinfusor from Tribes:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.the-junkyard.net/images/weapons/tvengeance/spinfusor.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.the-junkyard.net/weapons-tvengeance.php%3Faction%3Dviewweapon%26game%3Dtvengeance%26id%3D153&h=768&w=1024&sz=166&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=hZ2r0533BWW13M:&tbnh=113&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dspinfusor%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN

[Elizabeth @ Sep 8th 2006 8:37PM]

Not true Crazy Legs. Wham-o does make a regulation size Ultimate Frisbee. It's even approved by the UPA. http://www.frisbeedisc.com/products/ultimate/ultimate.html
In the last few years they have become very involved in the development of Youth Ultimate. While it's true that the majority competitive players prefer the Discraft Ultrastar, Wham-o appears to be targeting the next generation.