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Forbes
10-07-2025
- Forbes
The U.S. Army's $170,000 Attack Drone Competes With $500 FPVs
The SwitchBlade 600 is the Army's choice for its LASSO project New budget documents show that the U.S. Army is making a little headway in its efforts to catch up with Ukraine and Russia acquiring small attack drones like the ubiquitous FPVs. But they also show there is still a very long way to go, and rather than abundant low-cost systems, the Army will be fielding a few expensive systems for the immediate future. Low Altitude Stalking And Strike Two years ago, back in July 2023, the U.S. Army announced a new Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO) program. The new weapon was on an 'an urgent capability acquisition pathway to rapidly deliver this capability to the Infantry Brigade Combat Team (IBCT).' The project was clearly inspired by Ukraine, where small FPV quadcopters were taking out Russian armor at long range, and would give the Army similar capability 'LASSO is a man-portable, tube launched, lethal payload munition, unmanned aerial system. It includes electrical optical /infrared sensor, precision flight control, and the ability to fly, track and engage non-line-of-sight targets and armored vehicles with precision lethal fires. LASSO currently consists of three modules: the launch tube, unmanned aerial system, and fire control station.' A U.S. marine with a tube-launched attack drone (note gas supply for the launcher) The big difference here is that LASSO would have an infrared sensor or thermal imager, These are still rare on FPVs because they typically add $200-$500 to the cost, so daytime FPVs generally lack them. And while in Ukraine FPVs are carried in a backpack and launched from a stand, the U.S. Army wanted a tube-launched version. This would be fired out by compressed air or other gas, then unfold its wings, making for a quicker and easier launch but at the cost of some cost and complexity. The LASSO requirement is for a 20-kilometer range and the ability to destroy armored vehicles including tanks, doing the same job as FPVs, There are a wide variety of FPVs in use in Ukraine, varying in size, payload and extras. Typically, they cost around $500. Ukrainian drone fundraiser Serhii Sternenko – who has supplied a staggering 200,000 FPVs to the military, and targeted by an assassin as a result -- – quotes $300 for a small 7-inch FPV and $460 for a 10-inch, On the other side, Russian maker Frobotics offers an entry-level model for $315 and heavy lift (20-pound warhead) for $756. Ukraine is building vast numbers of FPV attack drones These are made in vast numbers. Ukraine recently announced it had increased drone production to 200,000 per month or about 6,000 per day. In December 2023 AeroVironment announced that the Army had selected their SwitchBlade 600 for the LASSO requirement. The Switchblade 600, launched in 2020, is the big brother to the SwitchBlade 300 with longer range and a bigger warhead. The Switchblade 300 was used extensively in Iraq and Afghanistan against 'high-value targets' from about 2012. Budget documents showed Switchblade 300s cost $52,914 a shot , but there was no information on the exact pricing of the 600, until now., Follow the Money The U.S. Army's procurement budget for missiles for FY2026, released last month, gives a little more detail on LASSO and the rationale for it: 'Infantry Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs) lack adequate proportional organic capabilities at echelon to apply immediate, point, long range, and direct fire effects to destroy tanks, light armored vehicles, hardened targets, defilade, and personnel targets, while producing minimal collateral damage in complex terrain in all environmental conditions.' LASSO will 'enable the Soldier to make multiple orbits within the IBCT typically assigned battlespace, to acquire and attack targets within and beyond current crew served and small arms fire' In other words, doing exactly what FPVs do in Ukraine. But how many would be acquired and for how much? The document shows the Army is buying 294 SwitchBlade 600 LASSO rounds at a cost of $170,000 each. In addition, the Army is also acquiring 54 ground control units; rather than the commercial controllers costing a few hundred dollars seen in the hands of Ukrainian FPV operators, these go for $69,204 each. This really goes to show what has been observed many times before: that producing high-specification gear in tiny quantities means you pay boutique prices. That tiny quantity will limit the number of operators trained, and they are not going to be firing a lot of live rounds in training. The Javelin missile costs more than SwitchBlade 600, has a much shorter range, and requires the ... More target to be within sight It is worth noting at $170k a shot only looks extravagant in the context of the hardware used by Russian and Ukraine. By military standards it is fairly normal. The same procurement budget shows the Army's latest batch of Javelin anti-tank missiles costing $221k apiece – and the reusable control unit needed to fire them is another $208k. And if that sounds pricey the Army's new hypersonic LRHW missile will cost a whopping $36 million a time. 'Expensive' is all a matter of what you are used to. FPVs For the Army In another budget though, we find that the Army is also getting something more like the FPVs used in Ukraine via a very different program. The Army's Aircraft budget for FY2026 includes money for 'FPV/PBAS' – 'PBAS' being 'Purpose Built Attritable System' which is the Army's new buzzword for expendable drones. The PBAS will carry a variety of 'lethal/non-lethal armaments and munitions.' As in Ukraine these may be fitted along with the battery immediately before launch. One PBAS system consists of 'First Person Viewer (FPV) goggles, controller, leader display, two 10" air vehicles and four 5" air vehicles' and costs $34,826. Depending on the other items, the drones are likely around $5k each. Making drones in the U.S. will always be more expensive because they cannot simple use low-cost Chinese components like the Ukrainians and Russians, and labor and other costs will inevitable be higher. $5k may be expensive by Ukrainian standards, but it will conform to U.S. military specifications, and the production run is small. Considering that only 1,057 systems are being ordered, the $5k price tag may be the best that can be expected. It does at least mean that this program is delivering more than 20 times as many attack drones as LASSO for less total cost. The PBAS requirement is being met by a variety of suppliers, likely including Neros, previously noted for supplying thousands of FPVs to Ukraine. Neros co-founder and CEO Soren Monroe-Anderson told me that in Ukraine he was told that any firm wishing to supply the market needed to be able to supply 5,000 FPVs a month or go home, and their business is based on large numbers of low-cost drones. Neros' Archer is a low-cost, U.S.-made attack drone currently being supplied to Ukraine This week Monroe-Anderson told Defence News that Neros is aiming to be able to produce 10,000 drones monthly by January, and that the longer-term vision a factory to produce one million drones per year with the U.S. Defense Department as its primary customer. The Real Battle These budget documents reveal the battle inside Army procurement between traditional legacy suppliers and high-cost established products against disruptive newcomers offering low-cost tech in vast numbers. To an outsider, the way forward might seem obvious. But the defense business has its own way of working. In Ukraine and Russia, FPVs were so vital that many soldiers started out buying drones with their own money until the military procurement process finally started supplying them. Another chink appeared this week with an Army call for solicitations, with the goal of acquiring thousands of drones rapidly at a cost of less than $2k a unit. They want more, faster, cheaper than LASSO. Maybe next year will see the Army putting its money behind small drones in a big way. But an entrenched bureaucracy is a tougher opponent to shift than a dug-in tank battalion.
Mint
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
How a fake NASA astronaut conned the world: Meet Robert Hunt. He proved ‘school ke liye fees nahi uniform lagta hai'
A dialogue from Aamir Khan's '3 Idiots' — 'school ke liye fees nahi uniform lagta hai' — succinctly imparted a lesson on how a simple uniform can open doors that talent or skills alone cannot. A perfect example of this can be traced back to the 1980s in America, but for all the wrong reasons. Robert Hunt, 27, of Medford, had fooled the world for years by impersonating an array of people. He posed as a TV producer, inventor of a 'spray-on diaper cream,' US Marine, baseball star, senator and among many other prominent figures. His act of impersonation reached its climax when he posed as a US Marine fighter pilot and NASA hero. In December 1988, Hunt was even feted with honorary citizenship in Dublin, Ireland. "I was literally the best at what I did," Robert Hunt told in an interview over six phone calls in March 2025. 'He's very good [at what he did],' state Trooper Andrew Palombo, the investigator who arrested Hunt, was quoted in the Boston Herald as saying. Meanwhile, Hunt's former attorney, James Cipoletta, said, 'Robert had some really intriguing stories...I think he enjoyed the role-playing. He had a certain charisma, but it was the media who made him a celebrity.' Hunt continued his astronaut hoax with several lectures. During one such address in 1989, Hunt claimed he flew above Earth on the space shuttle Atlantis - 'on top-secret missions'. He went on to show two blackened tiles that he said were scorched during his reentry. Those blackened tiles were nothing but 'ordinary kitchen floor tiles he had burned,' state Trooper Andrew Palombo was quoted as saying. According to Hunt also claimed he zoomed off 'the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea in his F/A-18 jet fighter and showering Gaddafi's Libya with bombs.' According to the report, Hunt's obsession with space began when he was 7 years old. This was particularly on the night he watched the Apollo 11 moon landing on his family's television set in Massachusetts. As a teenager during the Vietnam War, Hunt reportedly snuck into the nearby Chelsea Naval Hospital, wore discarded uniforms, and saluted himself in the mirror. He imagined exploring distant planets one day. That image of himself, he told me, was "forever lasting,' reported. Hunt's father Leo once told the Herald that his son had started deceiving others at 14. The first time was when he had sold a neighbor some canaries. "...when the birds Roy [Robert] sold him took a bath, all the paint, or yellow chalk, or whatever the hell it was, started to come off. And they were sparrows! Sparrows!' Hunt was quoted as saying that in 1979, while still in high school, he had joined the Marine Corps on a delayed-entry program for recruits who were too young to qualify. But an administrative error led to an 'honourable discharge'. He was then sent home from the recruit depot on Parris Island, South Carolina. "It was disappointing, because that was my dream," Hunt told He said, "I knew everything there was about the Marine Corps and the Navy, so when I graduated, I just carried on the dream." He said he simply bluffed his way into the barracks. "I knew the curriculum; I knew the commands; I knew the structure," he said. But an officer reprimanded him for wearing an unstarched hat, and crestfallen, he returned to civilian life, the report added. Now comes of the part of Hunt's life where he used a uniform and some forged documents to sneak into NASA. In the early 1980s, Hunt allegedly dressed as a second lieutenant and snuck onto the Pease Air Force Base in New Hampshire — where his first wife used to work. He was reportedly caught poking around Air Force 2, the vice president's plane. This led to an FBI investigation and the end of his marriage to his first wife. Years later, after impersonating and testing his chances in several personas, Hunt fled back to the military. "Back in the you were in uniform, all you had to do is give them your SRB [Service Record Book]...That's it — 'welcome aboard,'' Hunt told told me. He admitted adding false pages to make it appear he was a helicopter pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461. He claimed he bypassed roughly two years of required training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Hunt reportedly said he had doctored other people's evaluations or forged his own. "It's like a rainbow," he said. "You just follow it and see where it goes,' he added. If the report is to be believed, Hunt used his fake credentials to acquire flight uniforms, coveralls and replacement uniforms from the requisition center. "You just had to have the balls to do it," he said. Hunt even gave himself a promotion. He reportedly purchased $20 Navy astronaut wings, transforming from Capt. Hunt, Marine pilot, to Capt. Hunt, America's 'youngest Marine astronaut.' According to Hunt, he bluffed his way into NASA astronaut training. "I literally put myself in the service," he was quoted by as saying. He also described the alleged transfer from helicopter to fixed-wing aircraft training before being selected for the NASA. Hunt claimed he underwent specialised physical evaluations at Johnson Space Center, studied in Huntsville, Alabama—known as "Rocket City"—and even spent "nine weeks with Morton Thiokol' learning about rocket boosters. There's no verification for any of these claims. He told his aim was to become the first imposter in space. 'Believe it or not, that was my plan," he said. "I was actually scheduled for a shuttle flight." But factually, history's first space hoaxer was Jerry G. Tees, a 28-year-old electrician who posed as an astronaut at a Houston nightclub in June 1963. In the US, Robert Hunt continued his astronaut hoax. He wore his Navy uniform and told audiences how "Atlantis reaches seven Gs during takeoff," and "glides in from 220,000 feet with zero power." Hunt claimed he also gave his father a military uniform for a photo, not realising the badges were misplaced and the hat was wrong. Soon, trouble was brewing for Robert Hunt. In January 1989, Massachusetts state trooper Andrew Palombo heard a strange complaint at Logan airport. A worker said a NASA astronaut in a US Marine uniform — complete with sword, medals and a Purple Heart — had visited her home and convinced her 18-year-old son to enlist in the Navy. When he changed his mind, the man demanded $4,000 to use his "Pentagon connections" for a discharge, reported. She said he claimed to command the space shuttle Atlantis and signed a photograph "Captain Robert Hunt." Palombo then called the Naval Investigative Service Command, who said Hunt had been a member of the US Marines Reserve for two months in 1979. He was "mustered out after a psychological evaluation," Palombo told The Daily Item. This enraged the state trooper. He couldn't tolerate an imposter claiming unearned rewards. Palombo figured out the truth about Hunt's military wardrobe. "He got the stuff on credit by posing on the phone as an officer and a gentleman. ... It was worth about $1,000, and of course, he didn't pay for it." 'He's a flim-flam man, and from what we can figure, he's squeezed at least $60,000 out of people since September,' Palombo had told the Herald. Following this, Hunt planned an escape. Later on January 28, 1989, Palombo knock on Hunt's door and searched his house, during which he found military paraphernalia, flight jumpsuits, a NASA helmet, police badges, and images of Hunt wearing Korean War medals. "He wasn't even born then," Palombo had said. He arrested Hunt for larceny and dragged him to the station. On the morning of Hunt's trial, lawmakers joked about spaceships parked outside the courthouse, reported. He pleaded guilty to larceny by false pretences for using his wife's corporate credit card and for swindling $4,000 from the young recruit's family. He was given a two-year suspended sentence. Hunt walked free in May 1989. After his release, Hunt, at one time, considered becoming an "honest" plumber but instead spent the money on another Navy uniform. "That's when I became a commando," he told the media outlet. He presented himself at the Presidio of San Francisco, a US military base, as the head of SEAL Team Six, the elite Navy counter-terrorist group. He reportedly slept in officers' quarters and worked three weeks at the emergency operations center, tooling around with computers. After he parked in a general's spot, the FBI charged him with false impersonation. He was finally captured, pleaded guilty in July 1994, and served a year in prison. Even after being released again, Hunt's cons continued. Palombo doggedly pursued him far beyond his jurisdiction. When Hunt struck up a relationship with a wealthy French-Canadian golfer and was accused of posing as a federal drugs agent, Palombo called the Canadian authorities and revealed his criminal past. Then, in July 1998, Palombo's Harley-Davidson hit an oil patch and spun out of control, killing him. After the security concerns following 9/11, Hunt told his schemes became "impossible." In 2005, the Stolen Valor Act made it illegal to falsely claim military decorations. Hunt hung up his fake uniforms and decided to rebuild his relationship with his parents. Hunt's stories were just limited to him being part of NASA or US marine. They even corrupted the public record. According to Hunt convinced Rodney Stich, author of "Defrauding America," a book about CIA conspiracies, that he flew secret missions to deliver missiles to Iran. Today, Hunt lives alone in New Hampshire, where he has held various construction jobs, according to He is 63, has few friends, and passes his time watching the History Channel. "What I regret is the people who got hurt," Hunt said. He said he eventually stopped dreaming of space and "grew up."
NHK
03-07-2025
- NHK
US forces in Okinawa apologize for Marine's conviction in attempted sex assault
The chief of staff of the US Marine Corps in Okinawa has apologized to Okinawa Prefecture for the recent conviction of a Marine for attempted sexual assault. Colonel Neil Owens, chief of staff for the Third Marine Division, visited the prefectural government office in Naha City on Thursday to offer an apology. The 22-year-old US Marine lance corporal was sentenced to seven years in prison in June for attempting to sexually assault a woman, resulting in injury. The assault occurred on Okinawa's main island in May last year. Owens told senior prefectural officials that he wants to apologize to the victim and people in Okinawa who were made anxious by the Marine's conviction. The head of the Okinawa governor's office, Tamari Masahito, told Owens that there have been eight sex-related cases involving US troops in Okinawa since December 2023. Tamari noted that while the US forces say only some members are causing trouble, there seems to be no end to sexual assault cases involving US military personnel. He said he cannot help but question the internal controls of the US forces. Owens responded that the division takes very seriously all the incidents and accidents caused by Marines, and has set high standards of conduct for its members. He said many Marines adhere to these standards outside bases, and those who don't are held accountable. He indicated his intention to work with the relevant entities to prevent a recurrence.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- CTV News
Japanese court convicts a U.S. Marine in sexual assault, sentencing him to 7 years in prison
Judicial members including Judge Kazuhiko Obata, center back, for a sexual assault case of a U.S. Marine sit at the Naha District Court in Okinawa prefecture's Naha, southern Japan, Tuesday, July 24, 2025. (Japan Pool/Kyodo News via AP) TOKYO — A Japanese court has found a U.S. Marine guilty of sexually assaulting a woman on Okinawa and sentenced him to seven years in prison, in a case that has triggered anger and safety concerns on Japan's southern island, which has a heavy American troop presence. The Naha District Court said Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, of Ohio, was sentenced in the case on Tuesday. Clayton was found guilty of attacking the woman in her 20s in the Yomitan village on the main Okinawa island in May, 2024, chocking her from behind, sexually assaulting her and causing her injuries. In sentencing, Judge Kazuhiko Obata said the victim's testimony, provided remotely and anonymously, was highly credible even though the defendant denied his charges brought by the prosecutors, who demanded 10 years in prison, according to Kyodo News. 'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier, spokesperson for 3rd Marine Division, said in a statement confirming Clayton's conviction emailed on Wednesday. Engelkemier said the U.S. side monitored the trial proceedings without interfering in the Japanese judicial process. 'We cooperated fully with the investigation process,' he said. The Marine has been in Japanese custody since his indictment that followed the allegation, he added. The case was one of a string of sexual assault cases last year in which the arrests of the suspects were initially withheld by local authorities on grounds of protecting the victims' privacy, triggering anger and criticisms of coverups. Okinawa, where one of the fiercest battles of World War II was fought 80 years ago and under U.S. occupation until 1972, remains home to the majority of about 50,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan under a bilateral security pact. The island, which accounts for only 0.6% of Japanese land, hosts 70% of U.S. military facilities. Frustration runs high on Okinawa because of its continued burden with the heavy U.S. presence that includes noise, pollution, aircraft accidents and crime related to American troops. Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, who attended Monday's 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa, raised concerns about recent sexual assault cases involving U.S. service members when he met with Lt. Gen. Roger Turner, the commander of III Marine Expeditionary Force, requesting discipline and preventive measures. There has been growing calls for a revision to the Status of Forces Agreement that gives the United States the right to investigate most accidents and crimes that occur on Japanese soil. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba 's Cabinet on Tuesday adopted a statement showing that the Japanese prosecutors dropped criminal cases against more than 300 U.S. service members in the last decade between 2014 and 2024, including a sexual assault case in Okinawa in 2020. ___ Reeno Hashimoto in Tokyo contributed to this report. Mari Yamaguchi, The Associated Press
CNN
25-06-2025
- CNN
US Marine sentenced to 7 years over sexual assault in Japan
Crime Japan AsiaFacebookTweetLink Follow A US Marine has been sentenced to seven years in prison after he was convicted of strangling and sexually assaulting a woman in Okinawa, a Japanese district court told CNN. Lance Cpl. Jamel Clayton, 22, was accused of choking a woman in her 20s while attempting to rape her in May 2024, according to Kyodo News. He pleaded not guilty and denied having sexual intent or using physical force against her. Clayton's case is the latest in a string of criminal allegations against US personnel in Okinawa. The Okinawa islands, which hosts 32 US military facilities, including some of the largest US military bases overseas, have for years been the center of local protests against American presence. Tuesday's ruling was handed down after prosecutors described the crime to be so dangerous and malicious that it could have endangered the victim's life, public broadcaster NHK reported. Naha District Court Judge Kazuhiko Obata, who presided over the case, described the woman's testimony as 'highly credible' and containing 'a level of specificity and authenticity that would not be possible without her actual experience,' NHK reported. 'The woman was attacked … she believed she would die. Her mental anguish was so great that she is still suffering from the effects of the attack,' the judge added. The woman, whose identity was not disclosed, reported the incident to the police and a friend shortly after it happened, according to Kyodo News. Prosecutors in the case called for Clayton to be jailed for 10 years, but the defense argued for acquittal –– saying the woman's testimony had many questions and was unreliable, according to NHK. In an email to CNN, 3rd Marine Division spokesman Capt. Kazuma Engelkemier confirmed Clayton's conviction. 'This behavior does not reflect the values of the Marine Corps nor does it exemplify the standards the overwhelming majority of our Marines uphold daily,' Engelkemier said. He added the Marine Corps cooperated with Japanese authorities on the investigation and 'monitored the trial proceedings' without interference. Clayton's case is among several recent incidents to draw scrutiny from local Okinawans include the case of a 25-year-old US serviceman, who in December was sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping and raping an underage girl. The incident took place nearly 30 years after three US servicemen raped a 12-year-old Okinawa school girl in 1995 –– which triggered backlash against the US military's presence. The 2016 rape and murder of a 20-year-old woman by a former US base worker in Okinawa triggered mass protests in the islands' capital, with tens of thousands of residents demanding the US move its bases outside of Okinawa. The fallout resulted in curfews for US personnel on the island. The Japanese government and the US Forces Japan in late April announced the creation of a new forum to 'enhance US-Japan cooperation' in Okinawa. A statement from the May meeting noted that a 2016 'Okinawa Orientation Overview' for incoming US personnel would be updated, and that more joint patrols, in areas outside of Okinawa, would be put in place. A Pentagon report published in late April this year showed the number of sexual assault cases across the US military dipped by nearly 4% last year. According to the report, there were 8,195 reported cases of sexual assault involving US servicemen in 2024, compared to 8,515 the year before. Senior defense officials, however, told the Associated Press that while the decline is a positive sign, the number of sexual assault reports is still too high.
