Invading a city that's been taken over by an enemy that's using human shields has some big problems. Trying to kill the enemy without killing innocent civilians is an issue.

So you sprinkle these camera equipped pods from the air all across the city. Each pod has a 360 degree view of the area around it. They would be equipped with small caliber weapons for direct targeting of the enemy. For larger targets, coordinates could be given for airstrikes or indirect fire attacks including illuminating a target by laser.

The advantage of these is they give a close up view from on the ground. Each pod would have a two man fire team assigned to it, one spotting, the other targeting.

Enemy troops on the ground who shoot one of these would be targeted by the hundreds of other pods around it. A city so invaded by these would restrict the enemies movement to having to travel in armored vehicles, easily targeted from the air. Yes, it's not perfect, but it beats carpet bombing in the area of killing of innocent civilians.

Then you bring in the combat robots.
-- doctorremulac3, Feb 03 2016

They're so polite... http://theportalwiki.com/wiki/Turrets
[RayfordSteele, Feb 03 2016]

// Then you bring in the combat robots // I was about to ask what the advantage is over combat robots.

I guess the big advantage is that these would actually be fairly possible with current technology, and much cheaper.

I suggest that these also include loudspeakers, allowing curious civilians to be warned not to touch, and tell enemy soldiers how to surrender safely before the robot troops (or whatever) arrive. I assume it already had a mic.

I'm trying to figure out what the best course of action is in case of loss of radio communication. You don't want opponents capturing these and using the components as improvised weapons. Having them blow up immediately seems like it makes them too easy to get rid of. Maybe have them take on the role of a more traditional mine so if they are touched (or the battery runs out before radio communication is established), they self destruct.
-- scad mientist, Feb 03 2016


Of course when I first read the title I thought I saw "Aerial ... Land-mines". Which goes along well with recent drone ideas.
-- scad mientist, Feb 03 2016


I think you've just invented cluster bombs.
-- normzone, Feb 03 2016


They need to occasionally say things like 'Can you come over here?' and 'Are you still there?'
-- RayfordSteele, Feb 03 2016



random, halfbakery