Drones and the US Air Drive – Cyber Tech

Drones and the US Air Drive

Fascinating evaluation of using drones on a contemporary battlefield—that’s, Ukraine—and the shortcoming of the US Air Drive to react to this modification.

The F-35A definitely stays an vital platform for high-intensity typical warfare. However the Air Drive is planning to purchase 1,763 of the plane, which is able to stay in service via the yr 2070. These jets, that are wholly unsuited for countering proliferated low-cost enemy drones within the air littoral, current monumental alternative prices for the service as an entire. In a set of feedback posted on LinkedIn final month, protection analyst T.X. Hammes estimated the next. The delivered price of a single F-35A is round $130 million, however shopping for and working that airplane all through its lifecycle will price not less than $460 million. He estimated {that a} single Chinese language Sunflower suicide drone prices about $30,000—so you can buy 16,000 Sunflowers for the price of one F-35A. And because the full mission succesful fee of the F-35A has hovered round 50 % in recent times, you want two to make sure that all missions might be accomplished—for a chance price of 32,000 Sunflowers. As Hammes concluded, “Which do you suppose creates extra issues for air protection?”

Mockingly, the primary service to reply decisively to the brand new contestation of the air littoral has been the U.S. Military. Its troopers are straight threatened by deadly drones, because the Tower 22 assault demonstrated all too clearly. Fairly unexpectedly, final month the Military cancelled its future reconnaissance helicopter ­ which has already price the service $2 billion—as a result of fielding a expensive manned reconnaissance plane now not is smart. Right now, the identical mission might be carried out by far inexpensive drones—with out placing any pilots in danger. The Military additionally determined to retire its ageing Shadow and Raven legacy drones, whose declining survivability and capabilities have rendered them out of date, and introduced a brand new speedy purchase of 600 Coyote counter-drone drones with a view to assist shield its troops.

Posted on March 18, 2024 at 7:03 AM •
22 Feedback

Sidebar picture of Bruce Schneier by Joe MacInnis.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

x