Are drone swarms the future of aerial warfare?

Are drone swarms the future of aerial warfare? | News | The Guardian

Technology of deploying drones in squadrons is in its infancy, but armed forces are investing millions in its development

As evening fell on Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in western Syria, the first drones appeared. Then more, until 13 were flashing on radars, speeding towards the airbase and a nearby naval facility.

The explosives-armed aircraft were no trouble for Russian air defences, which shot down seven and jammed the remaining six, according to the country’s defence ministry. But the failed attack in January last year was disturbing to close observers of drone warfare.
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With advances in drone technology, this could be the wave of the future. A drone costs a fraction of what it costs to train a fighter pilot & drones are replaceable.

This is what I do for a living. Yes. They are at least in the short term the future of warfare in general.

Granted, countering drones is just a matter of engineering...But for the time being, they are the cat's very ass.

JacksinPA said:

Are drone swarms the future of aerial warfare? | News | The Guardian

Technology of deploying drones in squadrons is in its infancy, but armed forces are investing millions in its development

As evening fell on Russia’s Khmeimim airbase in western Syria, the first drones appeared. Then more, until 13 were flashing on radars, speeding towards the airbase and a nearby naval facility.

The explosives-armed aircraft were no trouble for Russian air defences, which shot down seven and jammed the remaining six, according to the country’s defence ministry. But the failed attack in January last year was disturbing to close observers of drone warfare.
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With advances in drone technology, this could be the wave of the future. A drone costs a fraction of what it costs to train a fighter pilot & drones are replaceable.

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Drones these days seem to be crappy cruise missiles with landing gear. True drones deliver payloads and then return to base to strike again. Yes they are the present and future of warfare. Automation is the ultimate of levers.

Hamish Howl said:

This is what I do for a living. Yes. They are at least in the short term the future of warfare in general.

Granted, countering drones is just a matter of engineering...But for the time being, they are the cat's very ass.

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Be careful putting out that kind of info on a public forum. The Chinese eat that stuff up for breakfast.

Caught an interesting clip of the A-10C at D-M the other evening. See We fly over Davis-Monthan Air Force Base... - A-10C Thunderbolt II Demonstration Team. Their current A-10 squadrons are the 354th Fighter Squadron ‘Bulldogs‘, 357th Fighter Squadron ‘Dragons‘ and the 358th Fighter Squadron ‘Lobos‘. 355th Fighter Wing. Public info on internet. Planes were built by Fairchild on Long Island - long gone.

Got a tour of the Warren Grove range control tower in the NJ Pine Barrens years ago. A flight of ANG A-10s from Baltimore came in to do cannon work. You could see the smoke from the shells a second before you could hear the noise. Incredible!! At home 50 miles away I used to listen to them both on the Uniform range channel & Fox Mike squadron plane/plane. A real hoot!

Love Tucson. Great city. Great Mexican food made by real Mexicans.

PirateMk1 said:

Drones these days seem to be crappy cruise missiles with landing gear. True drones deliver payloads and then return to base to strike again. Yes they are the present and future of warfare. Automation is the ultimate of levers.

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Cruise missiles cost over a million dollars each.

Deuce said:

Cruise missiles cost over a million dollars each.

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Pilots cost a whole lot more.

Great news!

I hope our local police are allowed to use fleets of drones to stop violent crime.

If a bad actor refuses to surrender, then a drone could use a taser to "calm" him/her down.

I think that we would see a big drop in violent crime if bad actors saw drones circling in the air.


P.S. Hopefully, a drone can even follow the bad guy/gal right into the store. That should end all liquor store robberies and murders.

TheParser said:

Great news!

I hope our local police are allowed to use fleets of drones to stop violent crime.

If a bad actor refuses to surrender, then a drone could use a taser to "calm" him/her down.

I think that we would see a big drop in violent crime if bad actors saw drones circling in the air.


P.S. Hopefully, a drone can even follow the bad guy/gal right into the store. That should end all liquor store robberies and murders.

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Just put video camera's on top of each street light, tied to computers with AI and facial recognition programs. Then make it illegal to cover ones face when in public. If a person goes to a liquor store to rob it, they can be tracked where ever they go, the facial recognition software could identify them, direct the police to their last tracked location, and arrest them. Good maps of cities allowing and good computer software would be able to catch 95% of all criminals

Lord Tammerlain said:

Just put video camera's on top of each street light, tied to computers with AI and facial recognition programs. Then make it illegal to cover ones face when in public. If a person goes to a liquor store to rob it, they can be tracked where ever they go, the facial recognition software could identify them, direct the police to their last tracked location, and arrest them. Good maps of cities allowing and good computer software would be able to catch 95% of all criminals

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They do that now in China.

Lord Tammerlain said:

Just put video camera's on top of each street light, tied to computers with AI and facial recognition programs. Then make it illegal to cover ones face when in public. If a person goes to a liquor store to rob it, they can be tracked where ever they go, the facial recognition software could identify them, direct the police to their last tracked location, and arrest them. Good maps of cities allowing and good computer software would be able to catch 95% of all criminals

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And when do the cameras appear in our private lives as well. Sounds to me like living in a secret police state. All that for a liquor store robber? Kinda' overkill if you ask me.

I've seen a few things on tv and I would have to say yes. Swarms all talking to each other to accomplish a particular mission and be able to think on their own to make that goal happen.

So imagine if the military is showing that on tv, that's old news. I firmly believe we are ten years ahead in research than we see as current.

Hamish Howl said:

This is what I do for a living. Yes. They are at least in the short term the future of warfare in general.

Granted, countering drones is just a matter of engineering...But for the time being, they are the cat's very ass.

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Until they get more sophisticated. .. it will be a race.

Lord Tammerlain said:

Just put video camera's on top of each street light, tied to computers with AI and facial recognition programs. Then make it illegal to cover ones face when in public. If a person goes to a liquor store to rob it, they can be tracked where ever they go, the facial recognition software could identify them, direct the police to their last tracked location, and arrest them. Good maps of cities allowing and good computer software would be able to catch 95% of all criminals

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Big Brother is watching. Great plan, man. Individual freedoms and privacy be damned.