Phantom Sentinel, the new invisible, boomerang-like UAV

This whole "war on terror" thing sometimes reminds us a bit of that comic "Spy vs. Spy" -- each time we turn around, another company comes out with a way to ratchet espionage tech up a notch. We thought that the Lethal Frisbee UAV was cool, but we just found something that might in fact be a bit sweeter. Meet the "Phantom Sentinel," the latest from VeraTech Aero in Minnesota, which is a boomerang-like device for spying on our crafty foes on the other side. Apparently, as the UAV rotates it becomes nearly invisible in the sky while its cam takes quick snapshots of the scene below, then transmits them back to a soldier on the ground. We're assuming that those crazy goggles the other G.I. is wearing in this photo are able to translate that dizzying number of spinning images to something that a human brain can make sense of.

[Via DefenseTech]

[John from Buffalo @ Sep 30th 2006 9:52AM]

The G.I.s look like a couple of hoodies from the south Palo area in California. The last time I saw a bro with camoz around his ancles like he was a ganster, was in a gang bang video. Like WTF is up with those soilders and the drawz that make them look 12 and in the south Bronx wearing whitey Urban Wear?!

[Joel @ Sep 30th 2006 9:57AM]

Those aren't US troops. We don't wear that style of desert camo anymore. Haven't in years...

[Matt O @ Sep 30th 2006 10:07AM]

It is most likely just a promotional picture by the company

[Brandon @ Sep 30th 2006 11:21AM]

Who are the promoting to 50 and the G-Unit?

[Gr1zz @ Sep 30th 2006 11:23AM]

Hope they dont get sued by Timothy Roberts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom_(game_system)

[John Stracke @ Sep 30th 2006 11:33AM]

Maybe the goggles help them see it as it spins?

[Christian @ Sep 30th 2006 11:41AM]

Is that a guy or a girl throwing that boomerang?

[GI @ Sep 30th 2006 12:35PM]

Why is that "GI" wearing a bracelet? Why are both of them NOT wearing their Dog Tags? Those are Abercrombie and Fitch models.

[John from Buffalo @ Sep 30th 2006 12:43PM]

NO sheet, man. The Gap's G-Unit outfitters emporium division fo sho.

[duke @ Sep 30th 2006 1:08PM]

looks like the guy with boomerang is about to smack it on the nightvision dude


the problem with this pic is the lack of depth of field, hell it might be taken with disposable camera, with infinity lense..

[Dave @ Sep 30th 2006 1:52PM]

"Spy vs. Spy" implies that the other side is actually improving their tech as well. A better analogy would be, "Spy".

[Saffy @ Sep 30th 2006 1:54PM]

This looks like a lame press photo from some even lamer electro-industrial band.

I could totally see this on the inside flap of a Funker Vogt album.

"I see with the eyes of the hunter
No one can escape
I am a devil of a gunman
For you it is too late"

:-)

[HughJass @ Sep 30th 2006 2:33PM]

Umm, guys... The kids in the picture are about 16. Obviously they're not soldiers based on that alone, regardless of the mountain of other evidence. Why are we even discussing the possibility? Wake up, guys lol.

[Nerf @ Sep 30th 2006 8:08PM]

That photo makes the product look like a toy. Those kids don't look like GI's. They look like preteen boys.

[thunderleg @ Sep 30th 2006 9:50PM]

And the US politicians/military whines when China develops laser technology to blind US Spy satellites.

"But why can't we spy on you? Wahh!!!"

[W Arnold @ Oct 1st 2006 4:38AM]

yeh, "the whole "war on terror" thing" is obviously taken real serious by the blogger based on putting it in sarcastic quotes. It must be nice to earn a living sitting in air conditioning typing on your computer while other 20 year olds are out getting shot. Oh, and those are not U.S. troops.

[Mike @ Oct 1st 2006 3:31PM]

There's this thing called a periscope... it's cheap, silent, doesn't take batteries, and always works.

[mastershake @ Oct 2nd 2006 12:29PM]

WOW!!! So many comments on the dorks in the picture. As a former solider assigned to the Battle Lab at Ft. Gordon allow me to clear things up a little? Companies trying to sell their goods to the U.S. Military often do not get to borrow troops for photo shoots until it actually gets put into consideration and testing at a prooving ground. Yes they hire cheap models or use friends, employees, etc. They also use equipment often times far more holywood then what we actually used. It's called advertising.

[Christopher @ Oct 2nd 2006 6:23PM]

That thing is awesome. When my parent's generation went to war, all they had were swift boats and napalm.

What about pricing and availability?

I'm hoping they have a version for the overspending, non-saving, debt-ridden and gossip-obsessed American, 'cause I'd buy it!

[sine~language @ Oct 2nd 2006 8:40PM]

I think that giant with the advanced lawn edger is about to beat his midget friend over the head.