Hi!

"Paul J. Adam" writes:
UAVs are going to be really tough gun targets: just look at the size
of them. Aircraft guns aren't a good option, if only because you're
going to need so many rounds per target.

I know to little about the precision to say anything about how small
UAV:s for instance a Gripen can hit reliably with its gun. And it is
undoubtly quite secret.

"a gun", or "a gun system"? Be careful about actually costing
everything you need for a gun system, including the total cost of
the training sorties needed for pilots to reliably hit Predator-size
or smaller targets.

Definately gun system since a gun on an aeroplane is not especially
usefull withouth a good radar for aiming and fly-by-wire to aim the
gun(aeroplane). Why would hitting UAV:s require extensive training?
The pilots job is as usual to keep situational awareness. It is the
aeroplanes job to do the flying/aiming required to hit small and slow
targets. You still need the radar, fly by wire system and general
pilot training. What is added besides the gun is the software cost for
the autopilot and the testing. And the research work is also useful
for autonomous UAV:s.

What would be realy expensive is to develop and deploy a special slow
flying UAV-hunter. You get a lot more flexibility for your investment
if you buy additional Gripens, F18-E/F:s, F-35:s etc. And since you
anyway carry the gun and ammunition you can hunt UAV:s as targets of
opportunity on your way to and from other missions.

Best regards,