The Pentagon is rushing new gear out of its labs and into Iraq, in an attempt to thwart guerilla attacks, the New York Times reports in a maddeningly-vague story today.
New Defense Department spending "would include $38.3 million for tethered blimps equipped with digital cameras to spy on guerrillas' movements, more than $30 million for electronic jammers to disrupt their remote-controlled bombs, and $70 million to develop and buy what the letter called other 'rapid-reaction/new solution' technologies.
"Some devices would help detect roadside bombs and booby traps that have been killing American-led occupation forces, (Darpa chief Anthony) Tether said. These countermeasures use a variety of approaches including lasers, acoustic sensors and electromagnetic technologies, he said. He said the devices would be shipped in the next three to four months or sooner, after accelerated, last-minute development and testing."
THERE'S MORE: New Scientist has details on the technologies -- including a laser system to home in on snipers by finding "the tiny particles caught in the ballistic shockwave generated by a shot."
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