The Turkish drone that changed the nature of warfare

Post by throwaway0a5e » Mon, May 09, 2022, 8:55 PM UTC

stult wrote: post #72

ch4s3 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This seems superficially reasonable, but it looks like the TB2 Bayraktar was used to bomb the fuel depot in Bryansk less than two weeks ago and that's 150km into Russia. They seemed to have used the TB2 the other day on Snake Island. As of a week ago there had been 6 internationally confirmed incidents where a Tb2 was shot down. They were known to have had at least 20 when the war started and have received more sense…

It's a very solvable problem though. At least for countries other than Russia, which might not be technically nimble enough to adapt mid-conflict and under a strong sanctions regime. S-300s/S-400s/Buks and the somewhat rarer western equivalents like the Patriot system just aren't designed to target something flying that slow with that small of a radar cross section. That doesn't mean the drones aren't reasonably easy…

Post by stult » Mon, May 09, 2022, 9:45 PM UTC

gpderetta wrote: post #90

stult wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a very solvable problem though. At least for countries other than Russia, which might not be technically nimble enough to adapt mid-conflict and under a strong sanctions regime. S-300s/S-400s/Buks and the somewhat rarer western equivalents like the Patriot system just aren't designed to target something flying that slow with that small of a radar cross section. That doesn't mean the drones aren't reasonably easy…

The problem is that I think it is very hard for a modern fighter jet to engage a slow and low drone with a cannon. Probably it is easier with missles, but not very cost effective. Probably anti-drone drones or some sort of CIWS is going more effective.

Post by attentive » Mon, May 09, 2022, 10:53 PM UTC

openasocket wrote: post #22

robonerd wrote: post #2

> Several news sources have reported that a single TB2 drone can be purchased for a million dollars, but Bayraktar, while not giving a precise figure, told me that it costs more. In any event, single-unit figures are misleading; TB2s are sold as a “platform,” along with portable command stations and communications equipment. In 2019, Ukraine bought a fleet of at least six TB2s for a reported sixty-nine million dollar…

You should take a look at the switchblade. The switchblade 300 model has the equivalent of a 40mm grenade as a warhead, 2.7kg weight, endurance of 10 minutes and a range of around 10km all puts it well in that lower end range. Couldn't find any pricing data, but I imagine more COTS approaches could come out pretty cheap. I'm actually surprised we've got man-portable loitering munitions like the switchblade in use bef…

Post by greedo » Mon, May 09, 2022, 11:26 PM UTC

jollybean wrote: post #96

gpderetta wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In fact it seems to me that overall drones as artillery spotters have been much more impactful than direct fire drones in this war.

Yes, except for the strategic things like hitting AA, ships etc..

Post by melling » Mon, May 09, 2022, 11:52 PM UTC

01100011 wrote: post #24

atlasunshrugged wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ukraine absolutely has an airforce. According to a recent CNN article, "In early March, about two weeks into the war, the defense official said Ukraine has 56 fighter aircraft, which composed about 80% of its fixed-wing fighters" https://www.cnn.com/2022/04/20/politics/ukraine-aircraft-spa...

The UkAF literally bombed Snake Island the other day. They definitely have an air force.