In article ,
"Paul F Austin" wrote:

"Chad Irby" wrote

Funny, I keep finding quite large ones. Like the Predator, the
Darkstar, the Global Hawk, or one of several Russian designs that are
basically reworked large cruise missiles or former target drones.

You keep finding_types_of large ones.

Which, incidentally, are the ones they're actually using. And since
they're also expensive, they're worth shooting down. Just about
everyone who's making UAVs are making large ones.

Take a look at the number of G-Hawks produced and planned. The
payloads (never mind the airframe) are so expensive that the Air
Force treats it as a "high demand-low availability" resource like
Rivet Joint or JSTARS. For cost reasons, it's unlikely to change. The
same seems to be true of Predator. The UAVs that look to be procured
in large numbers are the Pioneer-class machines.

Which means, on cost terms, shooting down a big drone with a gun is
*very* cost-effective (a million-dollar airframe for a couple of hundred
bucks worth of ammo).

That "Pioneer-class" machine has a fifteen foot wingspan, which puts it
into the "light plane" size category, and certainly makes it big enough
to see and shoot down. If a jet can't do it, they can call in a
helicopter (every combat copter we have in the inventory could easily
catch one of the "little" drones).

--
cirby at cfl.rr.com

Remember: Objects in rearview mirror may be hallucinations.
Slam on brakes accordingly.