4 ms·

So I've been studying WW1 a lot recently and part of the problem that resulted in the mass slaughters early in the war we're the result of many of the technolog

So I've been studying WW1 a lot recently and part of the problem that resulted in the mass slaughters early in the war we're the result of many of the technological advances in warfare not being tested at any significant scale forany years prior to the war. I've been wondering what it will be like when the next big war hits and what are the technologies that will change the battle field that haven't been considered yet and drones are on of the biggest changes I think we'll see on the modern battlefield the next time two sizeable opponents go at it. I think you've hit the nail on the head for part of it is the ability of drones to take out tanks is going to be huge, tanks are expensive, bulky and hard to conceal and have limited visibility and range. They are going to be sitting ducks for cheap drones. As an aside everytime I read about the description of the battleships of WW1 I can't help but think of the fighter and stealth planes of our current era, massive expensive constructions who require a massive supply chain in terms of men and equipment to be effective, can only be deployed in specific situations and are championed by an officers core that doesn't realize their time has passed. After all what good does having general air superiority do for you if any random platoon can establish temporary tatical air superiority by hauling around a drone with em to complete their mission and bugger off while your Fighter is just taking off 500 miles away.

trhway 4y ago
>They are going to be sitting ducks for cheap drones. exactly https://youtu.be/BxaG4YdsHTg?t=31 https://youtu.be/BxaG4YdsHTg?t=31 - unspecialized small drone (22 V at 80 A) just dumping what seems to be like small mortar rounds onto the Russian tanks. To the comment below - the upper armor is much thinner. You don't even need an RPG warhead here. Small mortar may do it if it hits over engine behind turret. It easily can also be just a small shaped charge bomblet from a disassembled cluster Smerch warhead for example. Such a bomblet pierces 5 inch RMA - well enough to take out the tank from the top.
- baud147258 4y ago
  I don't think the mortar rounds would have done any damage to those tanks. A much bigger threat would be artillery spotting though
dragontamer 4y ago
> I think you've hit the nail on the head for part of it is the ability of drones to take out tanks is going to be huge, tanks are expensive, bulky and hard to conceal and have limited visibility and range. They are going to be sitting ducks for cheap drones. https://imgur.com/a/FOclOMt https://imgur.com/a/FOclOMt This tank can kill you from 3km away. Frankly, I don't think you'd see them. This is called "turret down" position, the tank is purposefully hiding behind a hill, and only the tank-commander is sticking out the top to see you. The tank-commander has thermal and night-vision binoculars. He absolutely can see you. Just like a deadly-sniper, except with a 120mm cannon. The tank will drive up the hill to stick its turret out (going from "turret-down position" into "hull down position"), fire a shot with computerized accuracy. The bullet will travel at mach 5, hypersonic. The shell will hit you before you even hear it. ------- And you're telling me, that your weapon of choice against this tactic is a drone that moves at 50mph? Even a 500mph+ anti-tank rocket / missile could have trouble hitting the tank if they're playing "peek-a-boo" behind hills like this, they may not give you enough time to even lock on to fire your missile. Case in point: at 500mph, your missile will reach the 3km-away tank in 12-seconds. More than enough time for the tank-commander to retreat behind the hill. That's if your missile even has that kind of range (NLAW only has 1000meter range) Your 50mph drone btw, will take 2-minutes to reach the enemy tank. The battle is long over at that point. The tank probably isn't even in that hill anymore.

trhway 4y ago

>They are going to be sitting ducks for cheap drones. exactly https://youtu.be/BxaG4YdsHTg?t=31 https://youtu.be/BxaG4YdsHTg?t=31 - unspecialized small drone (22 V at 80 A) just dumping what seems to be like small mortar rounds onto the Russian tanks. To the comment below - the upper armor is much thinner. You don't even need an RPG warhead here. Small mortar may do it if it hits over engine behind turret. It easily can also be just a small shaped charge bomblet from a disassembled cluster Smerch warhead for example. Such a bomblet pierces 5 inch RMA - well enough to take out the tank from the top.

baud147258 4y ago
I don't think the mortar rounds would have done any damage to those tanks. A much bigger threat would be artillery spotting though

dragontamer 4y ago

> I think you've hit the nail on the head for part of it is the ability of drones to take out tanks is going to be huge, tanks are expensive, bulky and hard to conceal and have limited visibility and range. They are going to be sitting ducks for cheap drones. https://imgur.com/a/FOclOMt https://imgur.com/a/FOclOMt This tank can kill you from 3km away. Frankly, I don't think you'd see them. This is called "turret down" position, the tank is purposefully hiding behind a hill, and only the tank-commander is sticking out the top to see you. The tank-commander has thermal and night-vision binoculars. He absolutely can see you. Just like a deadly-sniper, except with a 120mm cannon. The tank will drive up the hill to stick its turret out (going from "turret-down position" into "hull down position"), fire a shot with computerized accuracy. The bullet will travel at mach 5, hypersonic. The shell will hit you before you even hear it. ------- And you're telling me, that your weapon of choice against this tactic is a drone that moves at 50mph? Even a 500mph+ anti-tank rocket / missile could have trouble hitting the tank if they're playing "peek-a-boo" behind hills like this, they may not give you enough time to even lock on to fire your missile. Case in point: at 500mph, your missile will reach the 3km-away tank in 12-seconds. More than enough time for the tank-commander to retreat behind the hill. That's if your missile even has that kind of range (NLAW only has 1000meter range) Your 50mph drone btw, will take 2-minutes to reach the enemy tank. The battle is long over at that point. The tank probably isn't even in that hill anymore.