

Under Their Feet - kumarski
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324156204578277663587911192.html

======
Someone
Is this really only an infographic?

If so, [http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-02/the-narco-
tu...](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-02/the-narco-tunnels-of-
nogales) is a way beter read.

------
unimpressive
I'm reminded of the battle of the crater.[0]

Basically, during the civil war a bunch of miners under the command of General
Ambrose Burnside dug a tunnel underneath a confederate fort, and then blew it
up.

[0]: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Crater>

~~~
adharmad
Relatively more recent: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cu_Chi_tunnels>

~~~
_delirium
Some other fairly recent examples:

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone#Incur...](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_Demilitarized_Zone#Incursion_tunnels)

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip_smuggling_tunnels>

------
jakozaur
Old school. Ultralight unmanned aircrafts seems to be "more cost effective".

~~~
Wingman4l7
Have there been any cases of them actually being unmanned? It seems cheaper
and easier to hire / coerce someone to fly them. Search Google Images for
"marijuana ultralight" for some example images of a crashed hang glider trike
ultralight _(probably due to the massively overweight payload)_.

~~~
mahyarm
I don't know, but an unmanned, no radio, pre-programmed electric ultralight in
the middle of nowhere can be very stealthy. Almost no sound signature,
difficult to detect radar signature and pretty much invisible at night time.
Some small model that could carry 100L and 50kg would be very profitable item.

~~~
Wingman4l7
Well, electric ultralights are still largely prototypes _(although a quick
Googling makes it look like production units may be available soon)_. They're
definitely not quiet though -- electric motors are quieter than gasoline, but
at that size they still make noise. I can't speak as to the radar signature of
ultralights. An ultralight that could carry a 50kg payload would be at least
the size of a small powered hang glider trike, if we assume negligible weight
allowance for the control system and a payload capacity equivalent to the
weight of an average human pilot.

