3 ms·

The best way to kill drone is with better drones. We are at the dawn of a new arms race.

by zyang 3y ago

nradov 3y ago
That remains to be seen. Cannons, lower-cost missiles, or directed energy weapons might end up being more effective at killing drones. This is a rapidly evolving field and I don't think anyone can reliably predict the outcome. The big problem is target detection. Small quadcopters may be able to track nearby targets, but they lack the sensors needed to detect targets at useful ranges. At a minimum defensive systems will still need large, expensive sensors mounted on ground platforms, aerostats, or larger fixed-wing drones.
- PeterisP 3y ago
  I believe currently most 'kills' of small drones are because of EW ('electronic warfare' i.e. jamming and spoofing, both for the control link and for GPS navigation), which causes them to crash or land in enemy-controlled location.
- topspin 3y ago
  > The big problem is target detection. Generally yes, detection is hard. The Orlan-10 case, however, is easier. They can often be seen and/or heard from the ground and they are transmitting a live video feed, so their RF profile is a dead giveaway. If a fast, fox hunter counter UAV could be directed to the vicinity and then pick up the target efficiently a small crew could cover wide areas. I imagine something like a fast, traditional airplane form with directional antennae in the wings for long range tracking, and visual tracking (as per the linked story) at short range. The actual weapon would be a small firearm: the targets are fragile.
vGPU 3y ago
No, the best way to kill a drone is with a cheaper better drone that you can make more of.
- yencabulator 3y ago
  If it's a kamikaze thing.. The alternative is a world of e.g. dogfighting drones with a small weapon mounted on the hunter. Think of it as a lightweight airborne AA gun. There you might justify a higher price with e.g. the hunter having a >80% likelihood of surviving an encounter. Maybe no need for a gun even: dangle a detachable rope or web underneath your drone, now you just need to be fast & maneuverable enough to catch the other drone, and tangle the rope into its propellers.

The best way to kill drone is with better drones. We are at the dawn of a new arms race.

by zyang 3y ago

The best way to kill drone is with better drones. We are at the dawn of a new arms race.

That remains to be seen. Cannons, lower-cost missiles, or directed energy weapons might end up being more effective at killing drones. This is a rapidly evolving field and I don't think anyone can reliably predict the outcome. The big problem is target detection. Small quadcopters may be able to track nearby targets, but they lack the sensors needed to detect targets at useful ranges. At a minimum defensive systems will still need large, expensive sensors mounted on ground platforms, aerostats, or larger fixed-wing drones.

PeterisP 3y ago
I believe currently most 'kills' of small drones are because of EW ('electronic warfare' i.e. jamming and spoofing, both for the control link and for GPS navigation), which causes them to crash or land in enemy-controlled location.
topspin 3y ago
> The big problem is target detection. Generally yes, detection is hard. The Orlan-10 case, however, is easier. They can often be seen and/or heard from the ground and they are transmitting a live video feed, so their RF profile is a dead giveaway. If a fast, fox hunter counter UAV could be directed to the vicinity and then pick up the target efficiently a small crew could cover wide areas. I imagine something like a fast, traditional airplane form with directional antennae in the wings for long range tracking, and visual tracking (as per the linked story) at short range. The actual weapon would be a small firearm: the targets are fragile.

vGPU 3y ago

No, the best way to kill a drone is with a cheaper better drone that you can make more of.

yencabulator 3y ago
If it's a kamikaze thing.. The alternative is a world of e.g. dogfighting drones with a small weapon mounted on the hunter. Think of it as a lightweight airborne AA gun. There you might justify a higher price with e.g. the hunter having a >80% likelihood of surviving an encounter. Maybe no need for a gun even: dangle a detachable rope or web underneath your drone, now you just need to be fast & maneuverable enough to catch the other drone, and tangle the rope into its propellers.