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Some questions to think about: What is the smallest practical size for a military swarming drone? How many could fit in one TEU? How many TEU are shipped to

Some questions to think about: What is the smallest practical size for a military swarming drone? How many could fit in one TEU? How many TEU are shipped to your country every day? How many drones could be shipped to your country before anyone notices?

echelon 4y ago
If they're completely autonomous they won't need radio or line of sight communications. Load them with explosives or potent chemical weapons and it could get really scary. This YouTube short film terrifies me: https://youtu.be/TlO2gcs1YvM https://youtu.be/TlO2gcs1YvM
- jiggawatts 4y ago
  Speaking of which, I've seen a couple of YouTube clips demonstrating that even tiny shaped charges are incredibly powerful and have a surprising range. Suicide drones don't have to touch you, even a tiny one could kill from meters away.
  - 323 4y ago
    On the other hand some basic armor, including over the face like a motorcycle helmet, will protect you against small charges.
    - what-imright 4y ago
      I doubt it. Shrapnel and bullet kills will decline because of the energy cost of carrying the weight restricting range. I expect them to use needles fired precisely by a mini railgun at exposed areas of skin. Coated with a chemical agent. I also expect them to be able to recharge via solar or perching on power lines. They can then sit on rooftops and wait for a facial recognition match on the streets below. They could sit there for years. And what about the use of a nuclear battery? Now you can’t shoot them down for fear of contamination. Nightmare
      - nradov 4y ago
        That's a total joke. We can't even make large railguns work reliably, let alone small railguns. Poisoned projectiles have long been banned by international treaty, and there's no evidence of any major military power even considering violating that ban. Nuclear batteries are far too heavy for use in any aircraft. Stop watching so much SciFi and come back to the real world.
        what-imright 4y ago
        I can promise you it doesn’t make a shred of difference to the victim if they get their brains blown out of their ears by a sniper a mile away, burned alive by white phosphorus, ripped to pieces by high explosives, crushed under a tank, frozen solid by nerve gas or melted by neutron radiation. It was routine what 80 years ago to gas civilians. The only reason it wasn’t employed on the battlefield was that it was as likely to kill your troops as the enemies. Violating that ban is inevitable - as soon as one country adopts a ‘more discriminating’ method of killing and gains an edge, the rest will follow suit. They’ll sell it saying a drone would never accidentally kill a non combatant. The naivety of suggesting the technology can’t be developed with the pace of change we’re witnessing is astounding. They certainly can make a micro railgun, probably already have secretly. And I doubt a micro drone needs much more current than a pacemaker provides, especially with an energy efficient SoC at the latest fab.
        nradov 4y ago
        Fortunately, despite your unhinged and scientifically illiterate rant, the laws of physics still apply in the real world. It takes a significant amount of energy to get a weapons platform flying with useful range and speed. Do the math, and show your work. As for a "micro railgun", that's just pure nonsense. You might as well claim that the military has secretly developed time machines or warp drives. Come on. You're in no position to make promises about anything.
        what-imright 4y ago
        When the types of financial incentives an arms race provides become available, r&d will make the impossible solid reality. You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one.
bigiain 4y ago
You might enjoy reading Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez. https://www.daniel-suarez.com/killdecisionsynopsis.html https://www.daniel-suarez.com/killdecisionsynopsis.html
- atlasunshrugged 4y ago
  I second this, if you enjoy thinking about these topics and reading sci-fi it's excellent. Interestingly, Suarez thanks Rick Klau in his book who until recently was California's Chief Technology Innovation Officer.
- teekert 4y ago
  I enjoyed the book but I feel like it ended before it really started. Which is also part of the appeal, to think what could have happened?
pjc50 4y ago
How many guns fit in a TEU? How much explosive fits in a TEU? How many guns and how much explosive is already in your country?
- adrianN 4y ago
  One person with a million autonomous combat drones is a lot more dangerous than one person with a million rifles.
  - woleium 4y ago
    only if they have electricity to charge them..
- throwteu 4y ago
  Normally sending armaments to a rival/enemy isn't a smart move, because they are no longer under your control, they are under the control of the other party; and should be counted under their assets for belligerent purposes. The point is, is that assumption still valid for autonomous drones?
Symmetry 4y ago
In general the smaller a drone the shorter its range will be. So size will very much depend on that,

echelon 4y ago

If they're completely autonomous they won't need radio or line of sight communications. Load them with explosives or potent chemical weapons and it could get really scary. This YouTube short film terrifies me: https://youtu.be/TlO2gcs1YvM https://youtu.be/TlO2gcs1YvM

jiggawatts 4y ago
Speaking of which, I've seen a couple of YouTube clips demonstrating that even tiny shaped charges are incredibly powerful and have a surprising range. Suicide drones don't have to touch you, even a tiny one could kill from meters away.
- 323 4y ago
  On the other hand some basic armor, including over the face like a motorcycle helmet, will protect you against small charges.
  - what-imright 4y ago
    I doubt it. Shrapnel and bullet kills will decline because of the energy cost of carrying the weight restricting range. I expect them to use needles fired precisely by a mini railgun at exposed areas of skin. Coated with a chemical agent. I also expect them to be able to recharge via solar or perching on power lines. They can then sit on rooftops and wait for a facial recognition match on the streets below. They could sit there for years. And what about the use of a nuclear battery? Now you can’t shoot them down for fear of contamination. Nightmare
    - nradov 4y ago
      That's a total joke. We can't even make large railguns work reliably, let alone small railguns. Poisoned projectiles have long been banned by international treaty, and there's no evidence of any major military power even considering violating that ban. Nuclear batteries are far too heavy for use in any aircraft. Stop watching so much SciFi and come back to the real world.
      - what-imright 4y ago
        I can promise you it doesn’t make a shred of difference to the victim if they get their brains blown out of their ears by a sniper a mile away, burned alive by white phosphorus, ripped to pieces by high explosives, crushed under a tank, frozen solid by nerve gas or melted by neutron radiation. It was routine what 80 years ago to gas civilians. The only reason it wasn’t employed on the battlefield was that it was as likely to kill your troops as the enemies. Violating that ban is inevitable - as soon as one country adopts a ‘more discriminating’ method of killing and gains an edge, the rest will follow suit. They’ll sell it saying a drone would never accidentally kill a non combatant. The naivety of suggesting the technology can’t be developed with the pace of change we’re witnessing is astounding. They certainly can make a micro railgun, probably already have secretly. And I doubt a micro drone needs much more current than a pacemaker provides, especially with an energy efficient SoC at the latest fab.
        nradov 4y ago
        Fortunately, despite your unhinged and scientifically illiterate rant, the laws of physics still apply in the real world. It takes a significant amount of energy to get a weapons platform flying with useful range and speed. Do the math, and show your work. As for a "micro railgun", that's just pure nonsense. You might as well claim that the military has secretly developed time machines or warp drives. Come on. You're in no position to make promises about anything.
        what-imright 4y ago
        When the types of financial incentives an arms race provides become available, r&d will make the impossible solid reality. You may say I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one.

bigiain 4y ago

You might enjoy reading Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez. https://www.daniel-suarez.com/killdecisionsynopsis.html https://www.daniel-suarez.com/killdecisionsynopsis.html

atlasunshrugged 4y ago
I second this, if you enjoy thinking about these topics and reading sci-fi it's excellent. Interestingly, Suarez thanks Rick Klau in his book who until recently was California's Chief Technology Innovation Officer.
teekert 4y ago
I enjoyed the book but I feel like it ended before it really started. Which is also part of the appeal, to think what could have happened?

pjc50 4y ago

How many guns fit in a TEU? How much explosive fits in a TEU? How many guns and how much explosive is already in your country?

adrianN 4y ago
One person with a million autonomous combat drones is a lot more dangerous than one person with a million rifles.
- woleium 4y ago
  only if they have electricity to charge them..
throwteu 4y ago
Normally sending armaments to a rival/enemy isn't a smart move, because they are no longer under your control, they are under the control of the other party; and should be counted under their assets for belligerent purposes. The point is, is that assumption still valid for autonomous drones?

Symmetry 4y ago

In general the smaller a drone the shorter its range will be. So size will very much depend on that,