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I largely agree at this point in the proposed capabilities. As you say these are just hand grenades that fly in cool looking formations. Independently guided ae

I largely agree at this point in the proposed capabilities. As you say these are just hand grenades that fly in cool looking formations. Independently guided aerial buck shot. But the game changer is when these cheap independent systems can communicate and coordinate an intercept task against SOTA weapons systems - namely jets and nuclear subs. As we know from birdstrikes, just a collision at the speed jets are moving at will probably neutralize it. To do this, the swarm will create several layers of buckshot that the jet can't avoid every one of them. If the jet is able to evade this first cloud, that cloud will now have very accurate targeting data to relay on to the next cloud. And there will no longer be five billion dollar, 100-person manned subs to intercept other subs, all we'll need is an omni-present net of autonomous buoys that can "collapse-in" on any detected threat.

AnimalMuppet 6y ago
Depends. How fast are the drones? How fast is the SOTA plane they're trying to intercept? Trying to build a build a cloud in front of the jet is difficult when it's 20 times faster than the elements of the cloud. It's even more difficult when the plane can fly on the deck or at 60,000 feet, or anywhere in between. Now you have to build a cloud 60,000 feet tall in front of something 20 times faster than the cloud. That is non trivial. [Edit: Oh, yeah, what's the range of the drones? I read 6 km; is that accurate? If so, good luck getting them in front of anything.]
- stillsut 6y ago
  Agree. Even the murderdrones black mirror scenario posits a two-stage system: ~5 mile transport/breech-stage + 100-foot-range intercept unit. All to attack a stationary school building. So yeah, intercepting jets is going to need a another stage. And I think the intercept stage might look more like a guided mortars than a quadcopter.
- sudosysgen 6y ago
  Easy. Blow up the planes on the ground, or blow up the ship it came from :)

AnimalMuppet 6y ago

Depends. How fast are the drones? How fast is the SOTA plane they're trying to intercept? Trying to build a build a cloud in front of the jet is difficult when it's 20 times faster than the elements of the cloud. It's even more difficult when the plane can fly on the deck or at 60,000 feet, or anywhere in between. Now you have to build a cloud 60,000 feet tall in front of something 20 times faster than the cloud. That is non trivial. [Edit: Oh, yeah, what's the range of the drones? I read 6 km; is that accurate? If so, good luck getting them in front of anything.]

stillsut 6y ago
Agree. Even the murderdrones black mirror scenario posits a two-stage system: ~5 mile transport/breech-stage + 100-foot-range intercept unit. All to attack a stationary school building. So yeah, intercepting jets is going to need a another stage. And I think the intercept stage might look more like a guided mortars than a quadcopter.
sudosysgen 6y ago
Easy. Blow up the planes on the ground, or blow up the ship it came from :)