That’s the rather weird approach to technology insertion used by the Air Force with a Predator drone that crashed in Afghanistan on May 8, 2009, according to the Air Force aerospace mishaps data base.
Some unknown soul “tacked into place” a software chip that controlled an aileron on the wings of the armed Predator, using the same kind of silicone vulcanizing rubber cement used for minor car repairs, according to the Air Force crash report. This makeshift approach was to facilitate easy removal of the chip for programming updates, the report said.
Alas, vibration in flight knocked the chip loose, which in turn knocked out operation of the aileron and led to the crash and destruction of the $4.6 million drone.
Hopefully, the folks operating the 30,000 drones expected to be operating in U.S. airspace by 2030 will not take such a slapdash approach to sticking gizmos into their unmanned aircraft.
Bob Brewin
Bob Brewin joined Government Executive in April 2007, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience as a journalist focusing on defense issues and technology. Bob covers the world of defense and information technology for Nextgov, and is the author of the “What’s Brewin” blog.
Addressing the 3 Biggest BYOD Security Threats
Research Report: Powering Continuous Monitoring Through Big Data
Mobile Apps: New Ways to Connect Government with Citizens
Continuous Monitoring As a Service: A Shift in the Way Government Does Business
JOIN THE DISCUSSION
By using this service you agree not to post material that is obscene, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable. Although Nextgov does not monitor comments posted to this site (and has no obligation to), it reserves the right to delete, edit, or move any material that it deems to be in violation of this rule.