Hello Steemians! Today I read an interesting article on Swarm Intelligence by 
-1 Using a swarm of Drones to attack an enemy vehicle, vessel, or strong hold by attaching explosives to each drone and trying to penetrate the enemy's defenses. According to Defensetech.org, they found over the course of hundreds of tests that an average of 2.8 out of 8 drones made it through defenses even after defense capabilities were seriously upgraded. When implemented on the battle field, the swarms will consist of up to 30 drones. I wonder what a couple 1000 would look like.
http://www.defensetech.org/2016/01/04/u-s-navy-plans-to-fly-first-drone-swarm-this-summer/
-This is another article entitled, "LOCUST LAUNCHER FIRES A SWARM OF NAVY DRONES" by Kelsey D. Atherto, has some really good visuals of the application of the product to the field. As you can see there is a huge capability to use more than just 30 drones, plus it looks awesome.. and a little scary when you think about its potential. Have you seen the new Star Trek for example.
http://www.popsci.com/navys-locust-launcher-fires-swarm-drones
-2 Airforce Times' Phillip Swarts' article, "What's next for drones? Swarming, Lasers, and Wingmen, military leaders say," Highlights some of the other uses planned other than Small drone bombardment. A couple of these are Autonomous Wingmen and Laser-Equipped Drones. These remote Remote Pilot Aircraft (RPA) systems are not being implemented to replace Airmen, their purpose according to Maj. Jason Willey, branch chief for the MQ-9 Reaper in the Capabilities Division of the Pentagon’s Intelligence Directorate, "These technologies will not replace airmen, but will enhance their ability to carry out their mission,” he said. “Regardless of the developments boosting RPA capabilities, airmen will continue to serve as the strength behind the employment of all air power” he said. “Imagine a small UAS system operating in conjunction off the wing of fourth- and fifth-generation platforms, providing specific enhancing capabilities to achieve strategic effects.”
Here are a couple of examples in how they will accomplish this.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/09/27/whats-next-drones-swarming-lasers-and-wingmen-military-leaders-say/72733932/
-Autonomous Wingmen
These are drones that will serve as direct support for their Pilot counter parts. These drones could serve as a Swiss army knife: The drones could carry separate weapons systems other than the ones carried by the pilot's aircraft itself. This way a pilot could select a specific weapon system for an appropriate target and fire it not from the plane, but the pilot's accompanying drone acting like arm of the aircraft. These Autonomous Wingmen could also serve as a scout in sky increasing awareness and detection as well as a capability to fly ahead and proactively detect threats. Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, leader of Air Force Special Operations Command, said he wants a small unmanned aerial vehicle to accompany AC-130s on missions.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/09/27/whats-next-drones-swarming-lasers-and-wingmen-military-leaders-say/72733932/
-Laser Equipped Drones
While RPA's can be used to detect incoming threats, there is an obvious capability for them to engage, disable or destroy targets as well. This can be done by equipping high powered lasers or microwaves to destroy enemy anti-air technology, neutralize electronics, or disable combatant vehicles. They currently have a successfully mounted laser that they plan to start implementing in 2017.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/tech/2015/09/27/whats-next-drones-swarming-lasers-and-wingmen-military-leaders-say/72733932/
I hope that this interests you a little bit. This technology that is being implemented, was in various ways, developed from studying swarms of insects, including bees, and developing an understanding for swarm intelligence. The Scientists' initial intentions, I am sure, were not to inspire hoards of robotic war locusts driven by an AI that uses insect Swarm Intelligence, thus producing Swarm Tech, to destroy our enemies. However, this technology and the science surrounding it is incredible. It is so interesting to see the corollaries developing between technology and nature and how they are beginning to intertwine as we move further into the future within this hyper changing world of technology. I think that Adolf Just, author of Return to Nature: Paradise Regained, 1896, would see some interesting commonalities between his philosophical outlook and the recent trend of applying the genius of Mother Nature to technology and science. I am not claiming that nature has not influenced science in the past, but I do think the current methods of its implementation are intuitive, revolutionary, and common sensible... Beauty and understanding from simplicity, if you will. The ability to harness a new method of effectiveness or efficiency from methods that Mother Nature has been working on for millennia, for example the ways that life, like bees, communicate with each other and the out side world is an amazing advancement. I am excited to see how the diversity of these technologies will grow and how the uses will expand beyond its military potential and spills over into the use for public practicality like search and rescue, security, shipping of materials, construction, and our every day lives.
I absolutely Love Steemit for the exchanges of valuable information just like this. I am currently putting together my #introduceyourself post that I hope goes over well. I plan to take all of the Steem I generate and invest it back into Steempower so that I may bring more value to those who understand the goal, potential, and reality of this incredible platform an its underlying #blockchain genius. Shout out to all of the Mentors in the world who see the value in people and do not let it go to waste.
*Please comment and let me know your thoughts, I would love to discuss anything of interest to you from the article.