4 ms·

Swarmed Navy Destroyer Had Its Bridge Illuminated by Mysterious Drones

6 points by Stratoscope 4y ago

rolph 4y ago
a dry run... replace the Qcopters searchlights with munitions or designations devices and its a hot range
- z9znz 4y ago
  A drone big enough to carry useful munitions would also be large enough to identify on radar and shoot down. The risks a small drone plays are either using itself as a physical projectile (kamikaze) or information gathering (transmitting that information) and then self destructing to avoid identification of source. An the defensive side, directed beams of energy (including just "light") should be enough to render a drone ineffective at its job. And surely there are ECM measures which could be used at military ship power levels that would fry a drone.
  - rolph 4y ago
    a lot of these drones are quite skeletal, and can further evade by flying close to structure or surface. these drones are apparently carrying equipment visually identified as searchlights, that does cover a wide interpretation, but i would go with what normaly mounts to bulkhead and is operated by hand. a shaped charge of 5lbs C4 or semtex can do consequential damage, if that charge is exotic explosive, we have a real problem with 4 drones potentially lining up to create a linear fracture or cut structural beams/utilities. designation is another issue, dropping a beacon, or sending telemetry so that long range over horizon targeting is possible. the real challenge is how many modes of function can be coordinated between drones toward an overall goal.
z9znz 4y ago
Could this have been a drone-tech startup practicing drone mesh coordination, using ships as "target" practice? And perhaps they didn't discriminate between civil and military?
- cheaprentalyeti 4y ago
  Well, another report said the drones originated from a Chinese cargo vessel, but they usually seem to leave that part out of the press reports.
themodelplumber 4y ago
"Visually identified as quadcopters" was way more specific than I was expecting, going in with "mysterious drones" and thinking of recent UAP report disclosures. And they held station for 2h 20m? And one landed on the deck?! I was really impressed by the Youtube video soundtrack, too--the information logging & collection training for that moment must have been so epic. Seems like that sailor did an awesome job. Calling out _any_ information other than "whoa, seems like a drone??? what time is it...let's see" is just not normal human nature.

6 points by Stratoscope 4y ago

rolph 4y ago

a dry run... replace the Qcopters searchlights with munitions or designations devices and its a hot range

z9znz 4y ago
A drone big enough to carry useful munitions would also be large enough to identify on radar and shoot down. The risks a small drone plays are either using itself as a physical projectile (kamikaze) or information gathering (transmitting that information) and then self destructing to avoid identification of source. An the defensive side, directed beams of energy (including just "light") should be enough to render a drone ineffective at its job. And surely there are ECM measures which could be used at military ship power levels that would fry a drone.
- rolph 4y ago
  a lot of these drones are quite skeletal, and can further evade by flying close to structure or surface. these drones are apparently carrying equipment visually identified as searchlights, that does cover a wide interpretation, but i would go with what normaly mounts to bulkhead and is operated by hand. a shaped charge of 5lbs C4 or semtex can do consequential damage, if that charge is exotic explosive, we have a real problem with 4 drones potentially lining up to create a linear fracture or cut structural beams/utilities. designation is another issue, dropping a beacon, or sending telemetry so that long range over horizon targeting is possible. the real challenge is how many modes of function can be coordinated between drones toward an overall goal.

z9znz 4y ago

Could this have been a drone-tech startup practicing drone mesh coordination, using ships as "target" practice? And perhaps they didn't discriminate between civil and military?

cheaprentalyeti 4y ago
Well, another report said the drones originated from a Chinese cargo vessel, but they usually seem to leave that part out of the press reports.

themodelplumber 4y ago

"Visually identified as quadcopters" was way more specific than I was expecting, going in with "mysterious drones" and thinking of recent UAP report disclosures. And they held station for 2h 20m? And one landed on the deck?! I was really impressed by the Youtube video soundtrack, too--the information logging & collection training for that moment must have been so epic. Seems like that sailor did an awesome job. Calling out _any_ information other than "whoa, seems like a drone??? what time is it...let's see" is just not normal human nature.