3 ms·

Drones don't need to be anywhere near the size of fighter jets to carry the same payload. But meanwhile a single fighter jet is going to do nothing against a sw

Drones don't need to be anywhere near the size of fighter jets to carry the same payload. But meanwhile a single fighter jet is going to do nothing against a swarm of 100 drones that are 1/10th the size and 1/100th the cost since there's no need to train a pilot for 10 years and they can forego many safety systems designed for human pilots. Then there's a whole range of medium to low speed drones which again just overwhelm an infantry force. Or attach C4 and fly them kamikaze into ships. How do you guarantee you can shoot down 1000 drones in time when only one of them needs to succeed to do massive damage.

defrost 2y ago
> How do you guarantee you can shoot down 1000 drones in time when only one of them needs to succeed to do massive damage. A million rounds a minute takes out a drone swarm pretty well, a package of C4 alone will deflect off warship grade armour ... Drones and drone swarms are an issue, sure, but less so in some scenarios. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7faoyoxMF8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7faoyoxMF8 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  > A million rounds a minute Dragonfire is quicker, cheaper per kill, and safer in urban places then spray and pray kinetic weapons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfire_(weapon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfire_(weapon)
  - defrost 2y ago
    There are multiple approaches. How fast can Dragonfire recharge, how quickly can it target and kill 1,000 drones? > spray and pray kinetic weapons. You understand, I hope, that targets can be tracked, and ballistic weapons can accurately place a cloud of shrapnel on a per drone basis. With the same kind of track and target platforms that would direct a laser ..
    - nonrandomstring 2y ago
      > the same kind of track and target platforms Speed of light is the game changer
      - defrost 2y ago
        Pfft. - Not really your field, is it? How about total cost, weapon size and footprint, time to charge .. Speaking of time to charge, you dodged the real question .. how many drones can be targeted and destroyed in (say) 30 seconds?
        nonrandomstring 2y ago
        > Pfft. - Not really your field, is it? You got me. I know nothing about this and you would definitely be better off asking someone else.
  - xvector 2y ago
    I wonder how easily highly reflective coatings will mitigate Dragonfire.
    - nonrandomstring 2y ago
      Very well indeed I think. AFAIK Dragonfire is fully within the optical spectrum. However, there's a similar project we've been working on over here that's a beamforming MASER - that travels right through the housing and fries the electronics.
wbl 2y ago
A fifth generation fighter jet can bomb the factory that makes them, the truck that carries them, jam their coms, and land in a parking lot to rearm, refuel and do it all again.

defrost 2y ago

> How do you guarantee you can shoot down 1000 drones in time when only one of them needs to succeed to do massive damage. A million rounds a minute takes out a drone swarm pretty well, a package of C4 alone will deflect off warship grade armour ... Drones and drone swarms are an issue, sure, but less so in some scenarios. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7faoyoxMF8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7faoyoxMF8 * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKlnMwuCZso

nonrandomstring 2y ago
> A million rounds a minute Dragonfire is quicker, cheaper per kill, and safer in urban places then spray and pray kinetic weapons. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfire_(weapon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragonfire_(weapon)
- defrost 2y ago
  There are multiple approaches. How fast can Dragonfire recharge, how quickly can it target and kill 1,000 drones? > spray and pray kinetic weapons. You understand, I hope, that targets can be tracked, and ballistic weapons can accurately place a cloud of shrapnel on a per drone basis. With the same kind of track and target platforms that would direct a laser ..
  - nonrandomstring 2y ago
    > the same kind of track and target platforms Speed of light is the game changer
    - defrost 2y ago
      Pfft. - Not really your field, is it? How about total cost, weapon size and footprint, time to charge .. Speaking of time to charge, you dodged the real question .. how many drones can be targeted and destroyed in (say) 30 seconds?
      - nonrandomstring 2y ago
        > Pfft. - Not really your field, is it? You got me. I know nothing about this and you would definitely be better off asking someone else.
- xvector 2y ago
  I wonder how easily highly reflective coatings will mitigate Dragonfire.
  - nonrandomstring 2y ago
    Very well indeed I think. AFAIK Dragonfire is fully within the optical spectrum. However, there's a similar project we've been working on over here that's a beamforming MASER - that travels right through the housing and fries the electronics.

wbl 2y ago

A fifth generation fighter jet can bomb the factory that makes them, the truck that carries them, jam their coms, and land in a parking lot to rearm, refuel and do it all again.