The dumb little thief used most of Russia's massive AA missile stockpile to commit war crimes (bombard civilians) after they ran low of their actual missiles (because they bombarded the civilians so much). They simply haven't got that many left. Also, Ukrainians got really good at finding and destroying the launchers. They have few missiles and fewer launchers still left. The few that are left are in use in the warzone, not 600km behind it.

Source: armchair general with zero actual military knowledge

[–] echodot@feddit.uk 1 points 2 years ago

I think they're busy not protecting the boats in the Black sea. It takes a lot of effort to not protect those boats, and they haven't got any spare personnel left over to not protect aircraft.

Meanwhile the soldiers on the ground will have to not protect themselves.

Hell if you're going to be conscripted by Russia then your best help is to get conscripted into air defence because it apparently doesn't involve doing anything.

[–] EyesEyesBaby@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Noob question, do the Russians even use their bombers? I only hear about rocket strikes.

[–] Wilshire@lemm.ee 29 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

They use them to launch Kh-22 missiles.

[–] EyesEyesBaby@lemmy.world 9 points 2 years ago

Ah thanks for the info

[–] takeda@kbin.social 2 points 2 years ago

Some of their rockets are air to ground, and need planes to launch them.

[–] TerryMathews@lemmy.world 8 points 2 years ago

Good.

[–] macaro@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 2 years ago

Slava Ukraini!

[–] Bread@sh.itjust.works 6 points 2 years ago (3 children)

As neat as it is to see all these drone strikes on Russian resources. I am very concerned of eventual migration to drone swarms on either side. You aren't taking out a swarm easily, it will reach whatever goal it intends. Whatever it may be.

[–] takeda@kbin.social 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

Things like that are true with any new weapon. The C-Ram or the new laser weapon navy has should work well against.

Rheinmetall had video showing their done defense, it was made in 2021 https://youtu.be/pb5_F4_Eod8?t=3s

[–] xrellx@lemm.ee 0 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (3 children)

Conventional ammo is their answer to a modern drone swarm? I thought Rhein was better than that. Like, cool, you took out eight stationary drones. Now do a half mile wide swarm of eighty thousand coming around the ridge at speed.

[–] Cleverdawny@lemm.ee 2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Idk man, if I was going to try to shoot down a drone, I'd just use birdshot.

And assuming each of the eighty thousand drones costs $200 each including ordnance, that's a very significant expenditure on an attack. And I'm not even sure if it would be feasibly possible given limited bandwidth to control them.

[–] Bread@sh.itjust.works 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I don't know mate, that's only 16 million. The price of an F-22 is $150 million. Spending a ninth of a jet to win a war by strategically targeting the capital seems pretty cheap to me. Bring it up to the full cost and you have 750,000 drones. You are going to get overwhelmed by drones no matter how much ammo you have. It is too much.

[–] Cleverdawny@lemm.ee 5 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Oh, if you're talking about drones which can operate over long distances you're talking about $20,000 drones, or more expensive. You'd need satcoms and that isn't cheap or lightweight.

[–] Bread@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I am talking about small commercial drones that act like suicide bombers. They go one way and can be real cheap. Just deploy somewhat locally.

[–] Cleverdawny@lemm.ee 1 points 2 years ago

More expensive and less useful than you might think.

[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 1 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

Tech gets cheaper each year and software becomes more advanced. You don't need wireless control when each drone can autonomously navigate to and identify a pre-programmed target.

The block II tomahawk cruise missile had that 40 years ago. That image processing and satellite communications capability is available in modern smartphones.

[–] takeda@kbin.social 1 points 2 years ago

They move much slower than missiles, there videos where people were able to shut them down with regular weapons (you don't see that with missiles) so why automated system using conventional weapons wouldn't be effective?

[–] crispy_kilt@feddit.de 1 points 2 years ago

It isn't conventional ammunition. Not at all.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

You aren’t taking out a swarm easily, it will reach whatever goal it intends. Whatever it may be.

I would think the future of defense against drones is directed energy weapons.

[–] Bread@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 years ago (1 children)

An EMP might work, but you then lose all your nearby electronics. Doesn't help for a second wave though. I can't imagine EMPs are easily reusable.

I would be interested to see what a directed energy weapon might look like.

[–] partial_accumen@lemmy.world 1 points 2 years ago

Laser
Plasma
Microwave

[–] SomeGuyNamedPaul@beehaw.org 3 points 2 years ago

Just so we're clear, this is the one Russia reported as being "slightly damaged" right?