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Shahed drones have a maximum range of 25000 km [bbc_1]. The distance from e.g. Isfahan to Tel-Aviv is ~1592 km [google]. Shaheds can reach Israrel from Iran. A

Shahed drones have a maximum range of 25000 km [bbc_1]. The distance from e.g. Isfahan to Tel-Aviv is ~1592 km [google]. Shaheds can reach Israrel from Iran. As to them all being intercepted, in the 12-day war that seemed to be the plan, i.e. force Israel to waste interceptors on cheap drones [bbc_2]. That seems to have changed in the current conflict. _______________ [bbc_1] With a maximum range of 2,500km it could fly from Tehran to Athens. [bbc_2] When Iran attacked Israel with hundreds of drones in 2024, the UK was reported to have used RAF fighter jets to shoot some down with missiles that are estimated to cost around £200,000 each. Both exceprts from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-b3a272f0-3e10-4f95-9cd1-b34ab8ad033c https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-b3a272f0-3e10-4f95-... [google] https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Isfahan,+Isfahan+Province,+Iran//@31.658003,39.431095,2532919m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m9!4m8!1m5!1m1!1s0x3fbc35fe8c326799:0x7ab57816ef5837f5!2m2!1d51.6659656!2d32.6538966!1m0!3e3?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDMyMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Isfahan,+Isfahan+Province,...

gnabgib 7mo ago
You need an edit on your first range (typo). 25Mm is amazing, nowhere is too far away (except the moon).
- YeGoblynQueenne 7mo ago
  Well spotted, my bad, too late now.
WalterBright 7mo ago
During WW2, the British used Spitfires to shoot down V1s. The V1s, pushed by a simple pulse jet, I presume are much faster than the drones. So some WW2 aircraft could be re-armed and used to shoot them down cheaply. The British also employed a belt of radar-guided flak guns to shoot them down. I don't hear any comparisons with the V1s, so my idea must be stupid, but I'm not seeing the flaw in it.
- jounker 7mo ago
  A v1 was 30 feet long with a 20 foot wing span, and had no evasive capabilities.
  - WalterBright 7mo ago
    Do the drones being launched by Iran have evasive capabilities?
    - srean 7mo ago
      Unlikely but they can be intelligent about their trajectory. That is avoid known areas of resistance, use natural features for protection. Being slow moving as they are, they are quite vulnerable to countermeasures after they have been detected. I expected a-10s, helicopter gunships guarding critical infra, but have not heard of anything like that in the news.
      - WalterBright 7mo ago
        A10s are expensive overkill, and helicopters are too slow. Piston engine airplanes are plenty fast enough and cheap to build and deploy.
        srean 7mo ago
        Now that comes from an authority :)
- myrmidon 7mo ago
  I think a big difference is that asymmetry has grown a lot: The modern drone is much cheaper than any manned aircraft (while V1/V2 needed comparable or greater industrial input compared to fighter planes). If you want to scramble manned fighters (even WW2-style ones!) every time cheap drones are launched then the pure material cost per intercept might be acceptable (no guarantee here: you need more fuel and your ammunition is potentially more expensive than the drones payload, too), but the pilot wage/training costs alone ruins your entire balance as soon as there is any risk of losing the interceptors (either from human error/crashes or the drone operator being sneaky). Big problem with stationary AA is probably coverage (need too many sites) and flak artillery is not gonna work out like in the past because the drones can fly much lower and ruin your range that way.
breppp 7mo ago
> As to them all being intercepted, in the 12-day war that seemed to be the plan That's doubtful, these are different interceptors than the ballistic missile interceptors (AA missiles). That doesn't make sense as a strategy if they cannot hit any targets

gnabgib 7mo ago

You need an edit on your first range (typo). 25Mm is amazing, nowhere is too far away (except the moon).

YeGoblynQueenne 7mo ago
Well spotted, my bad, too late now.

WalterBright 7mo ago

During WW2, the British used Spitfires to shoot down V1s. The V1s, pushed by a simple pulse jet, I presume are much faster than the drones. So some WW2 aircraft could be re-armed and used to shoot them down cheaply. The British also employed a belt of radar-guided flak guns to shoot them down. I don't hear any comparisons with the V1s, so my idea must be stupid, but I'm not seeing the flaw in it.

jounker 7mo ago
A v1 was 30 feet long with a 20 foot wing span, and had no evasive capabilities.
- WalterBright 7mo ago
  Do the drones being launched by Iran have evasive capabilities?
  - srean 7mo ago
    Unlikely but they can be intelligent about their trajectory. That is avoid known areas of resistance, use natural features for protection. Being slow moving as they are, they are quite vulnerable to countermeasures after they have been detected. I expected a-10s, helicopter gunships guarding critical infra, but have not heard of anything like that in the news.
    - WalterBright 7mo ago
      A10s are expensive overkill, and helicopters are too slow. Piston engine airplanes are plenty fast enough and cheap to build and deploy.
      - srean 7mo ago
        Now that comes from an authority :)
myrmidon 7mo ago
I think a big difference is that asymmetry has grown a lot: The modern drone is much cheaper than any manned aircraft (while V1/V2 needed comparable or greater industrial input compared to fighter planes). If you want to scramble manned fighters (even WW2-style ones!) every time cheap drones are launched then the pure material cost per intercept might be acceptable (no guarantee here: you need more fuel and your ammunition is potentially more expensive than the drones payload, too), but the pilot wage/training costs alone ruins your entire balance as soon as there is any risk of losing the interceptors (either from human error/crashes or the drone operator being sneaky). Big problem with stationary AA is probably coverage (need too many sites) and flak artillery is not gonna work out like in the past because the drones can fly much lower and ruin your range that way.

breppp 7mo ago

> As to them all being intercepted, in the 12-day war that seemed to be the plan That's doubtful, these are different interceptors than the ballistic missile interceptors (AA missiles). That doesn't make sense as a strategy if they cannot hit any targets