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I've been meaning to do a thread on this @PStyle0ne1 post below for several weeks because of the cost/price point implications for 21st century drone versus post WW2 conventional warfare.
There are huge cost/attrition warfare implications for an FPV drone reaching 17 km.
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There are huge cost/attrition warfare implications for an FPV drone reaching 17 km.
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https://twitter.com/PStyle0ne1/status/1687161047474454540
Reusable DJI drones dropping grenades like these run around $5,000.
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https://twitter.com/sambendett/status/1694809399640936958
Quadcopter drones like these with FPV controls and a small antipersonnel warhead cost ~$300.
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https://twitter.com/sambendett/status/1694766972146250012
And an anti-tank warhead equipped FPV drone runs to $600 dollars.
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https://twitter.com/cpimentel986/status/1667290110763606016
And Ukraine is adapting FPV drones into a reusable form for anti-personnel work and I've no doubt anti-tank versions of these "FPV Stuka's" will be showing up on both sides.
Ukraine has a lead on Russia, but the follower, but is closing.
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Ukraine has a lead on Russia, but the follower, but is closing.
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https://twitter.com/bayraktar_1love/status/1692844685792838013
For which, see this Russian radio relay drone which will also allow deep, tube artillery range, FPV drone engagements.
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https://twitter.com/sambendett/status/1662077783059595264
From the cost point of view, this means a great deal.
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is producing 10k run of 155-mm L15 shells for 3,300 Euros each.
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technology.org/2023/01/05/how…
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall is producing 10k run of 155-mm L15 shells for 3,300 Euros each.
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technology.org/2023/01/05/how…
A $5,000 grenade dropping drone that completes three missions dropping nine $30 grenades will do more damage to Russian troops in trenches than a single $36,600/3,300 Euro L15 155mm shell because a grenade dropping drone is a flying cluster munition.
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packaged-media.redd.it/ygvvhivqs2lb1/…
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packaged-media.redd.it/ygvvhivqs2lb1/…
A flying cluster munition with man-in-the-loop aiming for each cluster munition that minimizes the dud cluster munition threat to civilians post-war.🤨🤔
That's bad enough for the "King of Battle", but it gets worse.
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That's bad enough for the "King of Battle", but it gets worse.
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At the 3,300 Euro/$36,030 L15 155mm shell price point, you can buy 12.1 antipersonnel one-way FPV drones or 6.1 anti-tank FPV drones for each or any combination between 6 and 12 FPV drones depending on the target set.
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And when they FPV's get reusable, the cost advantage goes asymptotic.
Assuming an additional $30/$100 per mission cost for grenades on a reusable FPV for three missions before loss.
That is 4.5 antitank FPV and 9.3 AP FPV's.
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Assuming an additional $30/$100 per mission cost for grenades on a reusable FPV for three missions before loss.
That is 4.5 antitank FPV and 9.3 AP FPV's.
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But we are talking 12 anti-tank FPV missions and 27 AP FPV missions for less than the cost of a single L15 155mm shell built Rheinmetall in a lot of 10,000 shells.
Anyplace on a 21st century battlefield that can be reached by an FPV drone, will be, because it is cheaper.
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Anyplace on a 21st century battlefield that can be reached by an FPV drone, will be, because it is cheaper.
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Yes, jammers are going to stop FPV's, sometimes.
The problem is jammers stopping Excalibur and GMLRS GPS signals are much cheaper per area covered because of line of site issues.
FPV Jamming signals are stopped by hills, buildings and forests.
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The problem is jammers stopping Excalibur and GMLRS GPS signals are much cheaper per area covered because of line of site issues.
FPV Jamming signals are stopped by hills, buildings and forests.
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Line-of-sight requirements mean you needs thousands of small jammers for a divisional front, transmitting where you want things protected, in a world where jamming signals can be geolocated by drones outside jamming range.
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Artillery will certainly have a specialist mission in a FPV dominated world in dropping dumb proximity air burst and cluster munitions on jammers, but indirect fire killing will be by FPV drones.
The ability of FPV drone operators to become "ace" is already on the agenda.
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The ability of FPV drone operators to become "ace" is already on the agenda.
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This Daniel Boffey article in the Guardian has an interview with the Ukrainian five time FPV ace Olexsandr.
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theguardian.com/world/2023/aug…
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theguardian.com/world/2023/aug…
Olexsandr has killed 20 Russian fighting vehicles as of the 7 Aug 2023 date of publication, in Zaporizhzhia.
Olexsandr destroyed between $20 and $40 million of Russian combat vehicles for ~$12,000.
That is less than the cost of four L15 155mm shells.
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Olexsandr destroyed between $20 and $40 million of Russian combat vehicles for ~$12,000.
That is less than the cost of four L15 155mm shells.
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The Field Artillery "King of Battle" is being dethroned in the early 21st century.
He costs too much for the work he does compared to cheap and sneaky ass FPV drones.
He is being demoted to battlefield role of the air burst & cluster munition "jammer janitor."
18/18 End
He costs too much for the work he does compared to cheap and sneaky ass FPV drones.
He is being demoted to battlefield role of the air burst & cluster munition "jammer janitor."
18/18 End
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