4 ms·

What I have wondered: let's say the US gives some predator drones to Ukraine, and then "trains" their military to use them. What is to stop the US from actually

What I have wondered: let's say the US gives some predator drones to Ukraine, and then "trains" their military to use them. What is to stop the US from actually piloting these drones from Tampa or whatever, perhaps through a cable from Ukraine to Poland? Would be very hard to prove who were actually piloting them at any given time.

daemoens 4y ago
The issue is that predator drones will be shot down almost immediately which makes it a non-starter. It flies high and slow which makes it extremely easy to attack. Even fighters on both sides have been flying extremely low due to both sides having an abundance of anti-air.
- concordDance 4y ago
  Are they any easier to shoot down than the Bayraktars?
  - daemoens 4y ago
    They are significantly larger and made of materials that are much easier to spot compared to Bayraktars. Predators were made with complete air superiority in mind.
JohnBooty 4y ago
What is to stop the US from actually piloting these drones Technically, probably nothing. Diplomatically? The risk of nuclear escalation or various WWIII-esque scenarios, because at that point you have the US military directly killing Russians. Assuming that the US (gulp) does not actually want WWIII, I can't see them flying the drones themselves unless they could somehow have 100% plausible deniability. Keep in mind that Ukranian facilities and perhaps the whole country itself could fall to Russia, and all secrets might then be revealed to the Russians. Or a single base could be captured. Or Russia may be able to spy/intercept/deduce this information.
- KptMarchewa 4y ago
  >The risk of nuclear escalation or various WWIII-esque scenarios, because at that point you have the US military directly killing Russians. Just as Soviet pilots have been killing Americans in Korea and Vietnam, despite not technically part of the war. There is no "simple legal trick" to start a war.
- kmonsen 4y ago
  My point is who knows who “pilots” a drone if it is all remote? There could even be an Ukrainian in the middle for show.
  - D-Coder 4y ago
    An intelligence leak.

daemoens 4y ago

The issue is that predator drones will be shot down almost immediately which makes it a non-starter. It flies high and slow which makes it extremely easy to attack. Even fighters on both sides have been flying extremely low due to both sides having an abundance of anti-air.

concordDance 4y ago
Are they any easier to shoot down than the Bayraktars?
- daemoens 4y ago
  They are significantly larger and made of materials that are much easier to spot compared to Bayraktars. Predators were made with complete air superiority in mind.

JohnBooty 4y ago

What is to stop the US from actually piloting these drones Technically, probably nothing. Diplomatically? The risk of nuclear escalation or various WWIII-esque scenarios, because at that point you have the US military directly killing Russians. Assuming that the US (gulp) does not actually want WWIII, I can't see them flying the drones themselves unless they could somehow have 100% plausible deniability. Keep in mind that Ukranian facilities and perhaps the whole country itself could fall to Russia, and all secrets might then be revealed to the Russians. Or a single base could be captured. Or Russia may be able to spy/intercept/deduce this information.

KptMarchewa 4y ago
>The risk of nuclear escalation or various WWIII-esque scenarios, because at that point you have the US military directly killing Russians. Just as Soviet pilots have been killing Americans in Korea and Vietnam, despite not technically part of the war. There is no "simple legal trick" to start a war.
kmonsen 4y ago
My point is who knows who “pilots” a drone if it is all remote? There could even be an Ukrainian in the middle for show.
- D-Coder 4y ago
  An intelligence leak.