Aerial drones

[DirtyProp]

Shall we discuss about them? A few years ago they seemed like some fringe weapons, now many consider them like a must-have weapon/system. It seems to me that the current trend is going towards cheaper, mass-produced, almost disposable drones steering away from multi-million $ systems. Thoughts, opinions?

[Video Mixdown]

Shall we discuss about them? A few years ago they seemed like some fringe weapons, now many consider them like a must-have weapon/system. It seems to me that the current trend is going towards cheaper, mass-produced, almost disposable drones steering away from multi-million $ systems. Thoughts, opinions?
They are no different to any other weapon. After initial success effective anti-drone systems will emerge and the whole cycle will begin again.

[MechEngr]

Stopping drones is almost as easy as stopping mortar shells or rifle bullets. I think the evolution of drones will move to making battlefields far more deadly for soldiers. The drones are rapidly becoming less expensive while carrying increasing computing capacity and their lethal kill radius can be just a few feet and still be effective as they hunt down their targets.

Anti-drone systems currently depend on disrupting the communication link - with increased on-board computation, the need for that link and the ability to disrupt it will vanish. Kinetic defenses will have to face drones dropping munitions from outside their range; I expect the munitions will soon be getting terminal guidance computers as well. Identify an open hatch and let the munition steer down the center.

A tactic that will become more common is to park and wait - fly out to some location and move to cover while the opposition is advancing and then wake up and attack from the rear. They could listen with actual microphones to sound, detect vibration through the ground, or notice an increase in radio transmissions to trigger waking up the power intensive software that detects people or tank treads or open hatches and doors on vehicles. Perhaps even carry light-weight camouflage to better blend in and avoid detection.

If one is willing to spend enough money most anything can be countered, but that cost is also a liability. It'a money that can't be spent on offense, which is required to get an attacker to stop.

On the other side of this is drones could be used to deliver aid to the wounded when medevac isn't possible.Or deliver specialized munitions or other needed materials.

I still think Ukraine should be using drones to drop packages of fentanyl to Russian positions in Ukraine .The US intercepts enough from the drug traffickers that this would be an easy way to re-purpose it to something useful. Probably clear out 80% of the Russians in a matter of weeks. Does that count as chemical warfare?

[Canary Boy]

Does that count as chemical warfare?
Probably, but then nobody would be forcing the orcs to consume it. As wheezes go, this is a belter!

[Xhorst]

Stopping drones is almost as easy as stopping mortar shells or rifle bullets.

I suspect the way to defend against drones in the future will be with more drones.

An attack drone is cheap and slow. This means your opponent can have a lot of them.

So an anti-drone drone also needs to be cheap, and can also be slow. This way you can have a lot of them.

[dctyke]

Keep it simple, big super fine filament nets shot into the air by small rockets. Modern day barrage bloons.

[MechEngr]

https://www.twz.com/land/laser-rocket-anti-drone-systems-being-rushed-to-u-s-forces-in-the-middle-east is an interesting response.

It's got a laser designator with a phased array hemisphere radar to identify targets and fire missiles.

What's interesting is that I was on a project that tried to use 70mm unguided rockets against incoming mortar rounds as a cheap Iron Dome. The promise at that time was that if it was successful we'd get a contract to use smart munitions. I pointed out at the time that if cheap unguided rockets could be made to work why ever would would the DoD spend more money? AFAIK it did not work.

Still, there is an asymmetry in cost between this guided missile system and drones. Even the suggestion that the radar be used to interfere is a bit of a stretch as one could send some open loop drones to deplete the missile supply for cheap, maybe even dragging radar retroreflectors to cause fake targets to appear to be in the group, and then sending anti-radiation drones to finish the job.

[Strucky]

What is the counter to a cargo ship, sailing 12 miles off shore, filled with 20,000 drones that swarm attack a port, city, vital infrastructure, etc.?

Warfare has changed forever.

This scenario has been highlighted over many years and ignored until Ukraine.

Combine drone technology with with AI and we have a frightening future.

[dctyke]

What is the counter to a cargo ship, sailing 12 miles off shore, filled with 20,000 drones that swarm attack a port, city, vital infrastructure, etc.?

Warfare has changed forever.

This scenario has been highlighted over many years and ignored until Ukraine.

Combine drone technology with with AI and we have a frightening future.

The later Terminator films seem to have got it about right!

[Xhorst]

What is the counter to a cargo ship, sailing 12 miles off shore, filled with 20,000 drones that swarm attack a port, city, vital infrastructure, etc.?

20,000 anti-drone drones?

[DuncanDoenitz]

What is the counter to a cargo ship, sailing 12 miles off shore, filled with 20,000 drones that swarm attack a port, city, vital infrastructure, etc.?

Warfare has changed forever.


Take your pick; Sea Eagle, Exocet, homing torpedo, marine raiding party.

Point being, if interception of a zillion airborne drones is problematic, we need to develop weapons and, above all, strategies that can intercept them at a vulnerable choke point.

[NutLoose]

I still think Ukraine should be using drones to drop packages of fentanyl to Russian positions in Ukraine .The US intercepts enough from the drug traffickers that this would be an easy way to re-purpose it to something useful. Probably clear out 80% of the Russians in a matter of weeks. Does that count as chemical warfare?

Or putting bottles of Vodka on top pressure sensitive mines..... In fact, just sow the fields out in front of your position with bottles of Vodka, the attacks would suddenly stop advancing.