7 ms·
> Have you not just described an anti-air missile? Yes, but a loitering anti-air missile.
by zkms 6y ago
> Have you not just described an anti-air missile?
Yes, but a loitering anti-air missile.
- qppo 6y agoI don't see how that's functionally different than SAM on the back of a truck or on someone's shoulder.
- jpollock 6y agoYou can use a lot of cheap, refillable energy to get the missile up to altitude. Otherwise, you need a bigger rocket on the back of every missile.
- dredmorbius 6y agoTrucks tend not to deploy at 1,000 knots regardless of terrain over a 1,000 mi range.
- dodobirdlord 6y agoYea, but a missile can be lighter, move faster, and carry more explosives if it doesn’t have to fly itself into a loitering position and instead gets hauled around by a big reusable multi-missile sensor platform.
- sundvor 6y agoBest of both worlds: Drone platforms carrying anti air missiles? :) Just for fun, and I have no qualifications whatsoever, but the Aim 9 comes in at 188 pounds (85.3 kg), add say 20kg for a release mount? (just guessing), so might be doable. Might need something more upmarket than a Griff 300 (max altitude 1000m - see https://www.dronetechplanet.com/the-griff-300-review-drone-that-can-lift-500-pounds/ https://www.dronetechplanet.com/the-griff-300-review-drone-t...) but even with that, if you had network of these remotely operated they could pack a hell of a surprise for an unsuspecting pilot (missiles would only go active when released), can be positioned strategically around assets.