this post was submitted on 03 Jan 2024
290 points (96.5% liked)

World News

38859 readers
3208 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News [email protected]

Politics [email protected]

World Politics [email protected]


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

I know Patriot missiles are relevant to traditional airframes... But aren't they completely irrelevant when it comes to drones? I'm pretty sure each missile costs at least 1000x the price of what it's most likely to be aimed at.

Edit: at four million a missile it's closer to 10000 or 100000x

[–] [email protected] 64 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Patriots are part of a layered air defense system that focuses on more valuable targets, whereas smaller air defense systems and units intercept UAVs.

Example

[–] [email protected] 29 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

These aren't for the small disposable drones. They're for other missles and large aircraft. For the missles in particular, you should also factor in the potential cost of the damage they'll cause if not intercepted.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago (3 children)

4 000 000 a missile, 100 000x times more expensive than a military drone? what military drone costs $40?

I don't know what models are in use today, but a Bayraktar TB2 costs 4 million.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The Ukrainians and houthis are having successful attacks with consumer drones that have hand grenades or ieds taped to them. You don’t need a “military grade” drone to fly an explosive where it shouldn’t be

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (3 children)

You aren’t going to take out an arms warehouse, a bridge, or anything of tactical meaningfulness with a grenade drone.

They are good for taking out soft targets but that’s about it. Their use is extremely limited as grenades are only good as anti-personnel weapons.

Comparing them to Patriot missiles is silly. Different uses.

They wouldn’t use Patriot missiles on targets where grenades are effective.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

A block of c4 is as easily taped to a drone as a grenade and that will take out the targets you mentioned.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago (1 children)

A block of C4 would put maybe dents in the type of targets that Patriot missiles are designed for.

You also need to be within vicinity of your target to be able to operate a drone, which a missile doesn’t need.

Drones can be easily jammed. Missiles aren’t easily jammed, not with the same tech stack needed for drone jamming.

Apples and oranges. Different targets, different engagements, different applications entirely.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

I’m not saying they replace Patriot missiles, obviously that’s not the case. I’m just saying you can cause a lot of damage with a $100 dollar drone and some c4, pretty similar damage to a $400,000 missile. The missiles aren’t really showing their cost-impact ratios to be good if what the Russians are spending on Ukraine is to be taken as evidence

[–] [email protected] 1 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Don't forget scouting. Giving soldiers in the field the ability to poke one over a hill can be useful. A $25 FPV drone off Amazon can do that job if that's all you can afford.

Not that you'd use a Patriot against that, either.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

soft targets

now that's a multiple meaning I can get behind. soft, pudgy, vodka filled targets.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Both Russia and Ukraine are heavily reliant on consumer drones from the likes of DJI. Those run in the 1000-4000 dollar range.