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> cost less than 10% of the Russian systems destroyed One wonders how they have managed that, or how they know.
by jl6 1y ago
> cost less than 10% of the Russian systems destroyed
One wonders how they have managed that, or how they know.
- sgt101 1y agoSize and range. Strike drones have to be able to carry a fairly large warhead (or are only good at hitting people and not things) and they have to fly quite a long way to get at things like reserve assets and logistics. So they are quite big, with quite a lot of fuel etc. Big things tend to cost more. In this case I can imagine that an interceptor that has a range of 10k and is 5% of the size of the strike drone would be able to knock it down and would be able to do so well away from its target. Dunno how anyone can "know" unless they "know" and then they are not talking. But, it seems plausible that something with 10% of the range and 5% of the mass would cost 10% or less.
- HarHarVeryFunny 1y agoRight- I think Palantir make much smaller drones, and way faster and more maneuverable, that could take out these slow moving Russian ones very easily. The capability comes more from the software than the parts list - doesn't add to the per-unit cost.
- sgt101 1y agoI think Anduril not Palantir?
- HarHarVeryFunny 1y agoYes - thanks.
- tim333 1y agoThe Anduril kit is expensive. "Costing from $125,000 to $500,000 per unit" https://www.businessinsider.com/anduril-roadrunner-raytheon-coyote-drones-us-navy-carriers-2025-5 https://www.businessinsider.com/anduril-roadrunner-raytheon-...
- HarHarVeryFunny 1y agoAnduril also have things looking more like small (cheap) consumer quadraptor drones that are really fast, and can take things out by impact, although no doubt could add an explosive charge if needed.
- xyzzyz 1y agoAnduril Anvil already has a munition variant, called Anvil-M.
- tim333 1y agoThis article has a little more https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/11/uk-to-produce-ukraine-designed-interceptor-drones-supply-thousands/ https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2025/09/11/uk-to-p... > While Healey didn’t elaborate on the cost of the interceptor drone, the Center for Strategic and International Studies put the estimated cost of a Shahed at $35,000 The Shaheds are large petrol driven things with ~2000 km range and 20 kg warheads. The interceptors are probably battery powered with a fraction of the weight and range. This kind of thing https://thedefender.media/en/2025/08/dyki-shershni-showcased-sting-315-km-god/ https://thedefender.media/en/2025/08/dyki-shershni-showcased... >Sting interceptor hits 315 km/h, shoots down over 200 Shaheds and Gerberas >Sting costs about $2,500 Not sure what design the UK will make.
- tguvot 1y agothere are jet powered shaheds with speeds around 600km/h
- tim333 1y agoI think Ukraine is working on jet powered interceptors for those. (https://youtu.be/cmQpycW0Y2s?t=170 https://youtu.be/cmQpycW0Y2s?t=170)
- tguvot 1y agointerceptors equipped by shotguns. i see shaheds in this case equipped with ultrasonic sensors to detect anything in range that will trigger "evasive maneuvers".
- tim333 1y agoThe main virtue of the shaheds is they are fairly cheap and simple so the Russians can send hundreds. If you try making them capable of evasive maneuvers and the like you lose some of that. The Mangust design is quite interesting >steered by the pilot until, at around 200 meters (650 feet), its auto-guidance system takes over and autonomously completes the interception. https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57595 https://www.kyivpost.com/post/57595 Still seems to be a prototype though - not sure they've hit any shaheds.