3 ms·

We have had things like buzz bombs for quite a while. But, as I mentioned in another comment, suddenly the proliferation of cheap kamikaze UAVs allowed the poor

We have had things like buzz bombs for quite a while. But, as I mentioned in another comment, suddenly the proliferation of cheap kamikaze UAVs allowed the poor-as-heck Houthis to shut down Western marine traffic in the Red Sea, even though we threw part of our multi-trillion dollar navy at the issue. So, what is happening? I would argue that it's the proliferation of these cheap solutions, so even "the poors" have them.

bell-cot 2y ago
> I would argue that it's ... Yes, to a great degree. Coupled with the west's military equipment establishment being disastrously optimized for sort-term profits.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- consumer451 2y ago
  > ... Coupled with the west's military equipment establishment being disastrously optimized for sort-term profits. A couple of years ago, I would have agreed that the Western military procurement system is so corrupt, that this was the main fault. However, what we just saw happen due to Ukrainian ingenuity and desperation was almost a phase change level event, at the infantry level. Only 2 years ago, it was US supplied Javelins killing Russian tanks at a cost of $176k a shot. Today, it is a $500 drone with a spare RPG round killing those Russian tanks. That's around a 20x reduction in cost. The delivery method is better in many ways, and can be manufactured in a thousand bedrooms, simultaneously. Not only could Russian procurement not adapt at this rate, but neither could Western procurement. Both sides still have no idea what to do about FPV/RPG drones. I think that the pace of change may have outpaced even our own mutual corruption, as our main fault. This might only be the beginning of that asymmetrical ability curve.