Reborn as Richard Castle in Criminal Minds

It's important to understand that Castle can face the military and intelligence agencies, especially the CIA or Homeland Security, with great confidence. This is because Castle knows that he is somewhat of a celebrity, particularly in New York City. Not only is the mayor his good friend, but he also has an excellent working relationship with the NYPD, the city's largest enforcement agency.

Therefore, when it comes to the military or intelligence agencies, Castle couldn't care less about them.

However, Northrup-Grumman, also known as the Cat Factory, is a different story. Firstly, this company is just a business entity, though it is part of a larger conglomerate. This distinction means that the leverage Castle had against the government or intelligence agencies doesn't apply here. Why? Because Castle is merely a wealthy individual, while Northrup-Grumman's backing comes from capitalists who essentially control the USA. Castle is just a rich person; he can't compete with the capitalists who hold the power. Additionally, this is the Cat Factory we are talking about. It earned that nickname because they designed and manufactured Castle's favorite fighter jet, the F-14 Tomcat.

Yes, Global Hawk was designed and manufactured by the company that created Castle's beloved F-14, and it's the only company in the USA with an aircraft carrier production line. This means the top brass and other significant figures in the American military are all clients of this company. There's also a rumor that the company is developing the next generation of the Super Tomcat to replace the Navy's current Super Hornet and the F-35, which is seen as a costly gold-eating beast. Thus, when Castle realized that Global Hawk was tracking the Fatty today, he immediately became more vigilant.

Castle suddenly remembered that the design philosophy of his two drones is completely different from that of the current world. The Fatty had been flying them recklessly over New York for the past few days, likely catching the attention of observant individuals who noticed the stark differences. Among these people, Castle believed the most likely to covet his drone technology would be Northrup-Grumman, the company that developed the Global Hawk for the military.

The design ideas for Castle's two drones were inspired by Tony Stark from the Marvel Universe. The flight control programs for these drones are entirely different from any other flight control systems in this world. If anyone experienced saw these drones flying, they'd be immediately drawn in by their unique shape, flight posture, and powerful performance. So, Castle felt that the ones following the Fatty today were probably not military or intelligence personnel but people from Northrup-Grumman.

Although Castle had mentally prepared for this, he didn't expect the company to act so quickly. The Fatty's caution, combined with the drones' unique flight capabilities and New York's complex terrain, allowed him to escape the powerful surveillance capabilities of the Global Hawk. However, Castle was skeptical about whether the Fatty had truly shaken off the drone.

Castle knew that the Global Hawk, equipped with military reconnaissance equipment, wasn't something the Fatty could easily lose by simply navigating through a few buildings and tunnels. The Global Hawk can use its Hughes Integrated Surveillance and Reconnaissance (HISAR) system to detect moving targets within a 100-kilometer radius from 18,000 meters high.

The HISAR system is a low-cost version of the ASARS-2 reconnaissance suite originally used on the U-2 spy plane and also employed by the US Army's RC-7B ARLM reconnaissance aircraft. The HISAR includes SAR-MTI systems that provide optical and infrared imagery. All three sensors can be connected to commercial computer processors for program control. Digital images can be transmitted back to ground stations at a maximum bandwidth of 50 Mbit/s or via satellite.

The HISAR operates in the X-band and offers several modes:

- Wide-area MTI mode can detect moving targets within a 100-kilometer radius.

- Composite SAR-MTI zoom mode provides 6-meter resolution images up to a 37-kilometer radius.

- SAR point mode offers 1.8-meter resolution images up to a 10-kilometer radius, with sea surface monitoring capabilities.

The optical and infrared cameras are mounted on a turret with zoom functionality and can optionally carry a SIGINT suite. For enhanced survivability, the Global Hawk is equipped with the AN/ALR-89 defensive suite, including laser warning and radar warning systems.

Given the powerful reconnaissance equipment on this drone, Castle felt that the Fatty's belief that he had evaded the Global Hawk was overly simplistic. The drone's operators might have deliberately let the Fatty think he was safe to track where the drones would be stored. Castle suspected the interested parties might already be on their way to the Fatty's house.

Reluctantly, Castle explained his concerns to the Fatty.

"What are you saying, Uncle Rick? Are you saying I didn't really shake off the drone and that they let me go on purpose to find us?" The Fatty was so shocked by Castle's analysis that he dropped the gold brick he was holding.

Castle, watching the nerdy Fatty who had no understanding of human nature, explained, "Fatty, you've been flying those two drones for days. Tell me, how do they perform?"

The Fatty perked up immediately when this topic was brought up. "Uncle Rick, these two drones are amazing. Although I haven't used military drones, these are the best I've seen in the civilian market. The camera equipment and laser eavesdropping devices are unmatched. But the most incredible part is the drones' control and flight performance. It's hard to imagine how you wrote those flight control programs..."

Castle interrupted the Fatty's praises and asked calmly, "So, if a manufacturer of military drones, like the one who makes the Global Hawk, saw these drones flying over New York, what do you think they'd do?"

The Fatty, not entirely dumb, quickly grasped the implication. "You mean they'd want to find the person who designed and built these drones to get the flight control programs?"

Castle, with a look of approval, said, "Exactly. Remember, my drones are much smaller than current military drones, yet they can perform impressive maneuvers and stay airborne for a long time. Don't you think such drone technology would attract weapon manufacturers?"

The Fatty immediately realized Castle's concern and began to reflect on his recent reckless flying.

But Castle stopped him. He knew that once he handed the drones over to the Fatty, the military or intelligence agencies would eventually come looking. It was also expected that drone manufacturers would show interest, just not so quickly. It might be due to the commotion caused by Simon and his group in New York today, and Castle's insistence that the Fatty keep an eye on Simon without hiding the drones.

Nonetheless, Castle didn't fear someone coming for his drones. At worst, he could sell the flight control system's source code. Although the technology was inspired by Stark Industries from the Marvel Universe, Castle had personally coded it in this world. Given Castle's current level of computer skills, he remembered the source code perfectly. So, who could say it wasn't Castle's own work?

Moreover, continued surveillance of Vincent would still require the Fatty to use the drones over New York. Since hiding them was no longer an option, Castle thought it would be better to negotiate with those interested. He just wondered if the ones coming would indeed be from the Cat Factory, as he suspected.

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