Military Uses 'Bat-Hook' To Tap Power From Lines 282
Zothecula writes "As soldiers are fitted out with more and more electrical sytems to extend their capabilities, they become increasingly dependent on the power needed to run them. Since soldiers in the field don't always have ready access to an electrical outlet when they need to top up the batteries, the US Air Force has developed a device that taps directly into the electricity flowing through overhead power lines ... a kind of bat-hook for real-life superheroes."
DO NOT try this at home folks (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Is this legal? (Score:3, Insightful)
> Will the military have a special contract with the power companies to let them do this?
Probably not a big issue when you have a lot of guns and are invading the country in question.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:4, Insightful)
I never said they weren't necessary, but we shouldn't revel in their actions. And yes, like you say, sometimes they are doing what they do for the greater good. Many times it is just needless interventionism though.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:0, Insightful)
Re:Is this legal? (Score:5, Insightful)
Well the article says this is for special ops forces, which basically means that they are in Country X without an invitation, usually to kill people and break things. So recharging their iPhones seems to pale in comparison.
Odd, Dangerous, unlikely (Score:4, Insightful)
This seems odd if you ask me. Anytime the US military assaults a populated area the first thing to disappear is the power grid.
Once they hold an area, they could just step into any building and get all the power they need. Who's going to say no?
Seems this is designed to be used for clandestine operations, where they need a fairly substantial amount of power from a power system they know is still operational.
But look at the size of the cable notch and you can see this is to tap into building feed lines (entrance lines), its not big enough for high tension lines, (which generally aren't rubber coated any way). Any line small enough to fit in that notch
Does that mean this is planned for suburban/residential areas or locations where there are building feed lines overhead? Some of the images on the linked page seem to show this (the unshielded cable in the images being for suspension only, and the other two conductors for power).
Yet that kind of entrance is not all that common in places like Iraq and Afghanistan, so one wonders if this isn't for domestic use in disaster relief situations where no one will begrudge them the power.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:2, Insightful)
I'll agree with you on your second set of statements, but just because they're doing their job doesn't excuse them. They are invading a country where they aren't wanted and are murdering people.
Re:Is this legal? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Yeah right. (Score:1, Insightful)
I don't have a simplistic and unrealistic impression of how the world works. I never stated a cadre of beliefs, you are simply assuming - for the sake of rational debate you, and everyone else, should stop doing that when you encounter an opinion you don't like.
As I stated in another comment - "I never said they weren't necessary, but we shouldn't revel in their actions. And yes, like you say, sometimes they are doing what they do for the greater good. Many times it is just needless interventionism though."
Yes there are complex reasons, but the use of force is supposed to be a last resort rather than the second option.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:4, Insightful)
If you're not going to give them a parade, then you need to pay them more.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:2, Insightful)
Blame the one (politicians) wielding the sword, not the sword itself.
Re:Don't confuse those who serve (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Yeah right. (Score:4, Insightful)
Military is the only profession where part of your job description is to give your life for others if necessary. Not to mention that it's a very hard job and for not that much money. I think they deserve a bit of credit, considering that they protect your interests as determined by the politicians that you elect, who are actually the ones who control what our military does and who they invade or not invade. If you disagree with a particular war, fine, blame the politicians who started it. By calling the soldiers murderers, you are no better than the ignorant hippie pieces of shit who spat on the crippled Vietnam veterans and called them baby killers.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:2, Insightful)
No I'm not - but by choosing to join the military you are supporting 'preemptive murder'. You are going over there and killing people who (I assume) you strongly suspect are a threat to you. Unfortunately that threat is subjective - the only time I'd say you are justified in killing someone is self defense. Unfortunately, YOU ARE THE INVADER and they are defending themselves from you, not the other way around. By attacking them you are only inciting more hate toward your country and inspiring the populous there to come over and kill us here.
Re:Odd, Dangerous, unlikely (Score:3, Insightful)
Anytime the US military assaults a populated area the first thing to disappear is the power grid.
From TFA, this was requested by special operations critters. They and other secret squirrels are in, snooping around, way before the power grid is taken out by air strikes. This thingie is meant for them, not regular troops.
Once they hold an area, they could just step into any building and get all the power they need.
. . . if they hadn't destroyed the power grid as mentioned above. Oops. "Unpack the diesel generator, Scotty."
Re:Prior art? (Score:4, Insightful)
What are you smoking? You can't make a claim like that and expect it to be believed without sources. Most (all?) power plants have crews monitoring voltage and frequency output and responding by bringing generators on or offline depending on the needs of the grid.
Re:Is this legal? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Yeah right. (Score:5, Insightful)
They are invading a country where they aren't wanted and are murdering people.
And we are responsible for sending them there.
Own up to the fact that we have let our political leadership run wild with our recent wars. The military answers to Civilian authority. Soldiers very literally have no ability to refuse their orders. This is ingrained in them from the moment they enter basic training. Civilian authorities like that because it means we can send these guys to do our bidding while publicly denouncing the horrendous necessity of their existence.
They are doing exactly what our political leadership is asking them to do. Our political leadership is elected by people like you and me. You can't put those atrocities on them without accepting equal responsibility for allowing it to happen.
But if it makes you feel good about yourself to shit on these guys on Veterans day, go right ahead.
Re:Yeah right. (Score:3, Insightful)
You're making the assumption that a strong military invokes blood lust.
something about having a hammer and only seeing a lot of nails maybe?
Parity tends to produce cooperation, overwhelming superiority tends to produce arrogance towards those you are superior too.
Do you seriously thing we would have invaded Iraq if we didn't know our military could kick the crap out of them? (note this is different than actually planning for the consequences of *after* kicking the crack out of them which we didn't do either).
Re:Yeah right. (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Yeah right. (Score:4, Insightful)
And yet, they still do a (mostly) thankless job, at great personal risk, which you or I would be unwilling to do. Much of what they do is good, some of what they do are for reasons which we might disagree with... they're still courageous.
Re:DO NOT try this at home folks (Score:3, Insightful)
could work, if the cape have strands of some material or other that will go rigid when electrically charged.
Tho it would be more like a hang-glider then actually flying unless one also pack some kind of miniature jet or rocket.