Thread: Defense against UAV's
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Old June 4th 06, 05:59 AM posted to rec.aviation.military,rec.aviation.military.naval,sci.military.naval
Fred J. McCall
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Default Defense against UAV's
wrote:

:
:Fred J. McCall wrote:
: wrote:
:
: :Not saying it is too easy, but it might all be doable within next 7-10
: :years by a country like Iran/India/China (those countries do have
: :competent engineers/software developers).
: :Note that any of those countries can easily throw $100million for a
: roject like this, and with thier salaries and general prices, that
: :would buy much more then the same $100milion in US. The UAVs are the
: :craze of today anyway and I am sure all of them are doing R&D in them.
:
: But you're now turning them from small, light, hard to detect,
: relatively cheap platforms into being large, complex, and expensive.
:no, no, no, that would be the american route (see Global Hawk and its
rice).

And its capabilities.

:You don't need it bulletproof. The drone's sting should just have a
:reasonable probability to cause damage so that the pilots will have to
:be cautious and stay afar

And you won't do that on the cheap.

come close to one drone and you might be
:fine, but when doing that 10 times the chance that something goes wrong
:for you is getting uncomfortably close to 1. Image that shame - "Shot
:down by drone!"). Quick and dirty and cheap solutions might work
:sufficiently well. "Good enough" , not "super duper". Have one of the
:drone's missiles face backwards to cover rear aspect (and do erratic
:maneouvers if suspecting attack, e.g. when hearing a helo or gunshots
r jet engine; this would also expose side attacks to missile's
:seaker).

Having the drone be big enough to carry missiles, detect targets for
them, and then launch them already carries you out of 'quick and dirty
and cheap solutions'.

: If you're going to go that route, just used manned aircraft. After
: all, life is cheap in places like Iran.
:Good pilots are scarse and cost a lot to train. Even in Iran. And
:manned aircraft is not going to be cheap regardless what you do.

And neither are drones of the sort you're talking about.

There are essentially three UAV regimes:

1) Micro-UAV - these are the tiny ones with a couple of feet of
wingspan that are being discussed. These are the 'small, cheap, and
slow' sort. They have a few sensors and a data link sitting on a
small composite platform run by a few HP engine with a prop
(frequently shrouded internal to the body).

2) Tactical UAV - these are things in the Predator size class. They
mount more sensors, are more sophisticated, and quite a bit more
expensive. They're large enough to carry tactical weapons but
probably not large enough to carry anything like an accurate
air-to-air system (good radars are large and expensive).

3) Aircraft UAV - these are the big boys like Global Hawk and the
Boeing X-45. They're big, sophisticated, capable, and expensive.

You can't get 3) (or even 2) on a 1) budget.

--
"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar
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