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US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

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Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#101

Post by GolfPopper »

psunavy03 wrote: post #48
mikeyouse wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> How long did it take it for the Osprey to make it into service? I was curious so I went and looked; 1981 - Initial development contract awarded 1983 - Bell/Boeing submitted their prototype and since it was the only submission, they were awarded the contract 1985 - Osprey designation established, first full size prototypes under development 1988 - First Osprey was finished 1989 - First testing of the prototypes star…

COD wasn't "testing various modes." It was a completely new requirement to replace Navy C-2s which were reaching end of life. It wasn't part of the original contract; it was a completely new "oh, we have this on the shelf and it's fit enough for purpose."

Except it isn't - the V-22 fleet is currently limited to flight 200nm or less due to mechanical concerns. [1] I'm not sure what the US Navy is currently doing or planning for near-future COD. (Beyond ordering more Ospreys. [2]) Pray they don't end up in a real hot war with a peer adversary, I guess?

1. https://news.usni.org/2025/02/11/navy-marines-learning-to-ma... 2. https://www.armyrecognition.com/news/navy-news/2025/us-navy-...

Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#102

Post by GolfPopper »

timewizard wrote: post #75
icegreentea2 wrote: post #14

Ha, I love the "rescue ops". This will not primarily be for rescue ops. This will be for supporting Marine standin operations on and within the first island chain. The marines have been trying to figure out how they can handle sustainment and logistics in that environment. You can read some wonkish article about this (back in 2022) https://warontherocks.com/2022/09/sustainment-of-the-stand-i... . You'll note that the…

> With a few hundred miles range 180 mile range, 180 knot speed, needs recharging infrastructure at both ends of the journey. This is a toy with very little operational utility.

>a toy with very little operational utility

A perfect match for the modern Marine Corps! (Somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but a Marine Corps that has abandoned amphibious assault and port seizure in favor of helping the Navy with sea control has arguably lost its reason for existing.)

https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/rusi-...

Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#103

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

GolfPopper wrote: post #100
SideburnsOfDoom wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"seaglider" is apparently a new word for ekranoplan. The difference is, the new ones tend not to be so enormous [1]. See e.g. https://www.regentcraft.com/seagliders/viceroy and https://www.hawaiiseaglider.org/what-is-a-seaglider It's the same craft with a different paint job Yes, they are Wing-in-Ground craft 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caspian_Sea_Monster

Thank you for bringing this up. All the marketing (and the "journalism" regurgitating it) are writing as though 'seaglider' is a word I ought to be familiar with, but have never encountered before. I had a lot of "these things seem a lot like an ekranoplane variant, but they're not calling them that" puzzlement.

I think the other commenter is correct, that it's one company (Regent) trying to make "Seaglider" a thing.

For obvious reasons - which word would you rather introduce to the public: "Ekranoplan", or "Seaglider".

If anyone else is working on modern Ekranoplans, I'd like to know. But AFAIK, it's just one company working on it, and promoting it.

Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#104

Post by ein0p »

hnav wrote: post #99
ein0p wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're assuming pursuit. For intercept you don't need a 180mph drone, you just need a somewhat predictable trajectory. You're also assuming constant motion away from shore or other ships, at top speed. Drones with speeds of up to 225kph (140mph) are already in use in Ukraine, although their payload is designed to take down heavy drones and helicopters (only a couple of pounds), and their range is only 12 miles. Nothi…

I don't doubt that you can physically carry big enough of a payload on an intercept trajectory, I just doubt that a clandestinely manufactured quadcopter will be able to either autonomously track its target (not big enough to carry a radar) or be controllable from 20 miles away (even in Ukraine EW is pervasive). More realistically they'd try to modify the targeting of their existing AtoA and send fighters. Which is k…

Fighters and AtoA are extremely expensive and difficult to manufacture in quantity. You can make drones pretty much anywhere (with a steady supply of cheap flight controllers), for next to nothing, and strap all sorts of payloads to them. If I were the adversary, I'd send a bunch of cheap drones first, to deplete defensive ammo, and then _maybe_ send something heavy duty and expensive. Literally, one single rocket (not to mention a fighter jet) can cost as much as a couple hundred disposable drones. You tell me which is harder to defend against, one rocket or a huge swarm of semi-autonomous drones (computer vision in the terminal phase is quite common by now).

Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#106

Post by 650REDHAIR »

hnav wrote: post #88
ein0p wrote: post #87

Are they drone evading though? Because if not, then this is a waste of time and taxpayer money. Literally any idiot can 3D print a drone capable of defeating tens of millions of dollars in military hardware from 15-20 miles away. We're not in Kansas anymore.

3D print a drone that will intercept a 180mph vessel from 20 miles away? You should consider putting together a prototype, I can only imagine you'd receive funding.

For intercept? Yes, absolutely.

DIY drones can do that now never mind by the time this is actually in service.

Re: US Marines to get high-speed, radar-evading electric seagliders for rescue ops

#107

Post by foxyv »

Low altitude is no longer a viable strategy for evading radar. Especially with the advent of datalink enabled satellite and other forms of downward looking radar. The propellers show up on pulse doppler like a flashing emergency light. Especially over the ocean with so little ground clutter.
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