WWIII - Attack of the Drones

[Ark]

Those Ukrainian operators are bloodthirsty sociopaths who make snipers look cuddly by comparison. They aim to wound to draw rescuers out, target medics, target ambulances, taunt and kill wounded and surrendering enemies. Nobody seems to have any problem with it, because they're the bad guys right now.

Imagine Iraq in 2005 if the insurgents had 20,000 DJI drones buried in containers in the desert.

 

[Route 45]

Those Ukrainian operators are bloodthirsty sociopaths who make snipers look cuddly by comparison. They aim to wound to draw rescuers out, target medics, target ambulances, taunt and kill wounded and surrendering enemies. Nobody seems to have any problem with it, because they're the bad guys right now.

Imagine Iraq in 2005 if the insurgents had 20,000 DJI drones buried in containers in the desert.

Or maybe imagine if an invading force leveled a few cities in Indiana and wiped out a few of your loved ones with indiscriminate bombs and missiles.

What's next, hyperventilating over hollow points and trench guns?

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

I've joked about this before, however there is a hint of seriousness when I say this. Sometimes when I see this stuff, I start to think that maybe a major Carrington Event wouldn't be so bad. In the case of the scenarios outlined in the OP, I'm not sure what would be worse. The ever increasing threat of autonomous AI drones, or life without semi-conductors and the grid. At least one can be dealt with by going back to our roots as humans, the other will require to adapt to what could be analogous to an invading alien species that will likely evolve faster than we can keep up with.

The ground rules of modern warfare have changed, and things like tanks and such will become relics of warfare like that of chariots and mounted soldiers. Our military strategy is likely decades behind this new leap. Back in the sandbox, one of the most destructive tools the jihadis had was stuffing shoes with explosive and leaving them on the side of the road. In Ukraine, it's a bunch of guys in their garage strapping shaped explosives on $200 model drones you can get from the hobby store.

I've heard of several different strategies for these new class of weapons. The small drones with smaller charges could be defeated with nets, acting similar to the cage armor we put on tanks to repeal RPG rockets. Bigger drones will require a different strategy.

In my opinion, one of the most terrifying drone I've heard of is what I call the ".300 WinMag Drone". It was concepted in Matt Bracken's "Foreign Enemies and Traitors" book, which would be the blue book in his Enemies Foreign and Domestic series. It is a drone that has night vision and thermal capabilities, armed with a match grade barrel loaded with match grade .300 WinMag bullets, and has an onboard ballistics calculator. This drone can hit a dinner plate size target at 1,000 yards, while flying at 40 MPH @ 400 feet of altitude, make the elevation and windage calculations in a second, and do this at day/night/fog.

IMO, anyone who knowingly produces either autonomous weapons and/or biological weapons (like super small-pox or something) should be put to death, or at the very least put in prison for life.

 

[HoughMade]

When you combine a drone with your "battle buddy", it can be pretty effective.

Only watch this if you don't mind seeing a Russian get taken out by a drone...and his comrade.

Did a Russian Soldier "Finish Off" his wounded Comrade

This says more about the Russian supply system than their MEDEVAC System

ryanmcbeth.substack.com

 

[daddyusmaximus]

I see a new movie coming out.

Been done.

 

[INP8riot]

I totally forgot about this video I saw a while ago! The tech is already here!

 

[smokingman]

Those who think a net(even gun launched) or firearms will help should probably think again. From what I have seen they either hit from altitude undetected or are so fast you never see them coming. If you want to see how fast they can be, go on youtube and watch some drone races(some hitting over 100mph). Wide band jamming may help, if it is powerful enough...but that also enables them to triangulate exactly where the jammer is and hit it first.

Currently the best solution seems to be drone on drone combat,but that only works if you have the numbers needed. Drones certainly will be used in most future conflict. Being aware of that does not help to much though.

 

[Shadow01]

Isn’t a guided missile a “robot”? Heat seekers and radar guided are both autonomous.

 

[Shadow01]

Those Ukrainian operators are bloodthirsty sociopaths who make snipers look cuddly by comparison. They aim to wound to draw rescuers out, target medics, target ambulances, taunt and kill wounded and surrendering enemies. Nobody seems to have any problem with it, because they're the bad guys right now.

Imagine Iraq in 2005 if the insurgents had 20,000 DJI drones buried in containers in the desert.

If you believe wars should be fought with a moral set of rules, you’ve already lost. Standing proud on the losing side doesn’t really do much.

 

[KellyinAvon]

Isn’t a guided missile a “robot”? Heat seekers and radar guided are both autonomous.

A guided munition seems a more accurate term. Some are more guided than others. Cruise missiles with terrain following (old school) and GPS (not as old school at this point) are REALLY accurate and hard to defend against. In Desert Storm (pre-GPS guided munitions/the JDAM came out of a need for all-weather precision since laser-guided can be defeated by smoke and clouds) the Tomahawks flew low and followed the terrain. This allowed some to be taken out by AAA since they were flying the same route. GPS + terrain following = much harder to defeat.

Missiles have guidance, rockets (like what Hamas and Hezbo launches at Israel) are more "point in the general direction."

The dumber the munition? The cheaper it is. GPS-guided gives you "bang for the buck" with the JDAM since it is a guidance kit on a dumb bomb. WAY cheaper than a cruise missile. (very rough math) 50 GPS-guided 500 pounders or 1 cruise missile? About the same price.

 

[Route 45]

 

[foszoe]

These things will take the place of fireworks in big cities one day.

 

[firecadet613]

These things will take the place of fireworks in big cities one day.

 

[jsharmon7]

So we should be stocking up on bird shot? For the swarms, do I need a Civil War cannon loaded with grapeshot?

 

[KellyinAvon]

So we should be stocking up on bird shot? For the swarms, do I need a Civil War cannon loaded with grapeshot?

The answer to both is always "YES!!" here at INGO.

 

[Leadeye]

When you combine a drone with your "battle buddy", it can be pretty effective.

Only watch this if you don't mind seeing a Russian get taken out by a drone...and his comrade.

Did a Russian Soldier "Finish Off" his wounded Comrade

This says more about the Russian supply system than their MEDEVAC System

ryanmcbeth.substack.com

Maybe I'm just behind the times on military tech, but that video has a "produced" look to it. The soldier who "dies" does so exactly on a well marked place on the road. This spot looks like something had been "exploded" there before earlier.

 

[BE Mike]

War has always been ugly. Nowadays, with social media so available to the masses, those who have never experienced combat, it is all of a sudden "real". It is no different than some punks videotaped beating a helpless person to death on our city streets. On the one hand, people watch it with fascination, and on the other hand, to salve their consciences, ask that implements of war and violence on our city streets be banned.