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Ukraine's capabilities mostly consist of ramming a cheap drone into an expensive one. This is one of those times when the US has a Maginot Military - massively

Ukraine's capabilities mostly consist of ramming a cheap drone into an expensive one. This is one of those times when the US has a Maginot Military - massively overpowered against traditional threats, inexperienced when dealing with something like this. This is not a trivial problem. A cheap drone with a relatively small explosive payload flown into an air intake can take down a military aircraft and cause serious problems for an airliner or private jet. An airfield is the ideal place to do that, because aircraft are most vulnerable during takeoff and landing. A few people and a hundred drones launched from a few km away can significantly delay incoming and outgoing flights. Equip the drones with weapons - or larger explosives - and it's potentially Pearl Harbour.

potato3732842 2y ago
That's kind of reductive. I know some people who have, uh, relevant experience. The cheap drones are pretty comprehensively engineered and they're complex in the same way that a ballpoint pen is not as trivial to manufacture as it looks. But yeah, Maginot Military sounds about right.
- ponector 2y ago
  But they engage only big drones. Like reconnaissance Orlan or Zala, maybe lancet. No one is shooting down fpv quadcopters, not yet.
  - coretx 2y ago
    Shotguns are being used for that purpose. Single buckshot from the top of a AR barrel are in vogue too. Someone should use a cheap arduino and a mike for aiming and shooting at fpv quadcopters. I really don't understand why that's not here yet. They can literally convert a toy from github.
    - potato3732842 2y ago
      They are "being used" but shotguns are the last line of defense. Good luck stopping a little FPV drone with one. If you do not disable it by 50ft you dead. And you have like 10% odds. Way better than 1% odds you might have with a rifle or nothing but... Jamming is first line of defense, a million times more effective FWIW.
      - coretx 2y ago
        One counter measure is no counter measure. If you look at toys like https://hackaday.com/2023/06/13/arduino-powered-missile-system-uses-ultrasound-to-aim/ https://hackaday.com/2023/06/13/arduino-powered-missile-syst... and scale it up with bigger and stronger servo's for holding a shotgun instead of fake missiles; you'll have a second war - with the arms industry. For a bonus you'll also win the war of economy because the bill of materials costs less than a mad maxed FPV drone given you source the shotgun from the land.
ZYbCRq22HbJ2y7 2y ago
Source? AFIK, the US trains soldiers in drone countermeasures, small and large. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb5qMvie9sU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb5qMvie9sU

potato3732842 2y ago

That's kind of reductive. I know some people who have, uh, relevant experience. The cheap drones are pretty comprehensively engineered and they're complex in the same way that a ballpoint pen is not as trivial to manufacture as it looks. But yeah, Maginot Military sounds about right.

ponector 2y ago
But they engage only big drones. Like reconnaissance Orlan or Zala, maybe lancet. No one is shooting down fpv quadcopters, not yet.
- coretx 2y ago
  Shotguns are being used for that purpose. Single buckshot from the top of a AR barrel are in vogue too. Someone should use a cheap arduino and a mike for aiming and shooting at fpv quadcopters. I really don't understand why that's not here yet. They can literally convert a toy from github.
  - potato3732842 2y ago
    They are "being used" but shotguns are the last line of defense. Good luck stopping a little FPV drone with one. If you do not disable it by 50ft you dead. And you have like 10% odds. Way better than 1% odds you might have with a rifle or nothing but... Jamming is first line of defense, a million times more effective FWIW.
    - coretx 2y ago
      One counter measure is no counter measure. If you look at toys like https://hackaday.com/2023/06/13/arduino-powered-missile-system-uses-ultrasound-to-aim/ https://hackaday.com/2023/06/13/arduino-powered-missile-syst... and scale it up with bigger and stronger servo's for holding a shotgun instead of fake missiles; you'll have a second war - with the arms industry. For a bonus you'll also win the war of economy because the bill of materials costs less than a mad maxed FPV drone given you source the shotgun from the land.

ZYbCRq22HbJ2y7 2y ago

Source? AFIK, the US trains soldiers in drone countermeasures, small and large. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb5qMvie9sU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb5qMvie9sU