The RQ-4 can not do one very important thing that the RQ-170 can which is to linger steathily over hostile territory, a situation you would not want a human pilot in.

The RQ-4 is expendable because you don't need an unmanned aircraft to fly the kind of missions it supports, lingering over non-hostile airspace, the U2 does those just fine and the U2 support structure is already in place and efficient.

Also, it seems that blimps can linger for much longer periods than the RQ-4 and at a much lower cost.

Maybe they need to rebuild that stealth helo they lost on the OBL raid?

Can you imagine going into battle with a rifle that says made in China on it?

Does the US really need ASBM technology? Are there that many fleet/carrier threats to the US that would make ASBM's more effective than known technology/ships that the US already possesses? I do not think so....

After reading this Time magazine article from 1972 about how mines work, to me it would seem more likely that a mine was recently (and deliberately) planted rather than it just lingering undetected in a shallow patrol lane for 40 years.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,879070,00.html

In regards to a NORK sub firing a torpedo, that scenario just seems so unlikely to me. It would seem to make more sense for that to happen if NORK was trying to provoke a prolonged conflict, which it doesn't seem they are in a position to do right now. Mines can be planted by any sort of hard to detect underwater vehicle which-- would seem to be the preferred method if someone wanted to inflict damage but, didn't want to risk getting caught red-handed.

I like the picture of the servers. Is that in response to the commenter who teased about the graphics that look like they are from the 90's for cyber war articles?

I wonder if this goes on over Alaska? If it happened over mainland US airspace they would surely have been shot down. The Brits have to toughen up.

Yeah but, would a picture of a guy sitting at a computer be any more exciting?

Which is why now might be the best time for the Chinese to try to take Taiwan?

I think the problem with legalizing and regulating is that the Cartels will just transition to legal producing and will still control the drug markets with violence. What incentive would they have to change their ways of doing business, the law is already useless.