Two Patriot Missile Systems Destroyed...

[Captain Caveman]

What do you mean by "active"?

Switched on, can be fired/deployed on the move. Or do they need to stationary, set up etc ..

 

[Captain Caveman]

of course not

Then they're an easy target

 

[Mushroom]

Switched on, can be fired/deployed on the move. Or do they need to stationary, set up etc ..

The must be emplaced.

In fact, there are at least 4 main components that must be emplaced before they can operate, the launchers are only that, the launcher and nothing else. You also need the RADAR unit, the Control Van, and the power plant that powers them. In addition to the launcher that must be emplaced.

The only air defense the US has that can be operated on the move is the AVENGER. And that is a short range system, not a medium range like PATRIOT.

 

[Mushroom]

Then they're an easy target

Name for me a single medium or long range air defense system that can be fired on the move.

 

[luiza]

My biggest concern is for the personnel who were killed operating these systems. Were there American casualties?

We can but hope .

They provided the junk along with false promises and it seems fair that God should punish them under some Trade Description Act .

 

[Hutch Starskey]

The newer Russian drones are operating with fly by wire fiber optics. Nothing to jam...

Huh?
They spool out miles of fiber optic cable?

Interesting.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Are the Patriots active when being transported?

Apparently not. One should have been stationary and provided cover

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Huh?
They spool out miles of fiber optic cable?

Interesting.

Yeah that doesn’t sound right

 

[Vastator]

Huh?
They spool out miles of fiber optic cable?

Interesting.

Not sure of the total distance; but yes...

 

[Mushroom]

Apparently not. One should have been stationary and provided cover

No, they always move as a battery. Typically of 6 launchers with the RADAR and all other components needed.

Having "one stationary" would have done no good, as they also have to move the RADAR.

 

[Mushroom]

Not sure of the total distance; but yes...

OK, I am going to go over just some of the most obvious technical problems with this idea.

First of all, drones are slow and tend to have a low power to weight ratio. That means that they do not have enough excess power to haul around things like cables (unless they were designed to actually lay cable). And most fiber optic cables weigh in at around 15 pounds per 100 meters. So it should be obvious how quickly a hell of a lot of weight is going to add up there.

Second, those are normally fairly low speed objects, only moving at about the speed of a man walking. Now add in the drag involved with all that extra mass, and those things will be lucky if they can crawl.

OK, now a really big one, wind. Anybody that has ever flown a kite can tell you that the wind is going to play havoc with this. It not only moves the kite, it even moves the string as well (not to mention gravity). Soon you are having to put on it motors many times larger than needed, just to haul around that length of strong that is trying to move it in another direction due to wind resistance.

Oh, I'm not done yet.

Oh, we do use "wire guided" ordinance, we have for decades. Most notably missiles and torpedoes. However, those are also very fast, the entire flight of a missile takes place in a few seconds. And can only be operated where the person firing them has a clear unobstructed line of sight to the target. Which is why the newer generation of such weapons have done away with the wires and uses other means to track the target (which is why the DRAGON was replaced with the JAVELIN). The other is torpedoes, but those do not need the wire. The subs can "cut" the wires, and the torpedo will go into autonomous mode. But that torpedo is still traveling many times faster than a typical observation drone.

And now for the elephant in the room, how in the hell are they going to keep it from getting entangled on obstacles? That is a huge problem, and I can't think of a single way to avoid that happening very quickly.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

No, they always move as a battery. Typically of 6 launchers with the RADAR and all other components needed.

Having "one stationary" would have done no good, as they also have to move the RADAR.

Does the radar have to be stationary to function?

 

[Vastator]

OK, I am going to go over just some of the most obvious technical problems with this idea.

First of all, drones are slow and tend to have a low power to weight ratio. That means that they do not have enough excess power to haul around things like cables (unless they were designed to actually lay cable). And most fiber optic cables weigh in at around 15 pounds per 100 meters. So it should be obvious how quickly a hell of a lot of weight is going to add up there.

Second, those are normally fairly low speed objects, only moving at about the speed of a man walking. Now add in the drag involved with all that extra mass, and those things will be lucky if they can crawl.

OK, now a really big one, wind. Anybody that has ever flown a kite can tell you that the wind is going to play havoc with this. It not only moves the kite, it even moves the string as well (not to mention gravity). Soon you are having to put on it motors many times larger than needed, just to haul around that length of strong that is trying to move it in another direction due to wind resistance.

Oh, I'm not done yet.

Oh, we do use "wire guided" ordinance, we have for decades. Most notably missiles and torpedoes. However, those are also very fast, the entire flight of a missile takes place in a few seconds. And can only be operated where the person firing them has a clear unobstructed line of sight to the target. Which is why the newer generation of such weapons have done away with the wires and uses other means to track the target (which is why the DRAGON was replaced with the JAVELIN). The other is torpedoes, but those do not need the wire. The subs can "cut" the wires, and the torpedo will go into autonomous mode. But that torpedo is still traveling many times faster than a typical observation drone.

And now for the elephant in the room, how in the hell are they going to keep it from getting entangled on obstacles? That is a huge problem, and I can't think of a single way to avoid that happening very quickly.

New Jam-Proof Drone About To Launch.

Clearly drones are the future of warfare, and in the latest tech advance, The Kalashnikov Concern is unveiling its new "jam-proof" drone. If it works as advertised it looks likely to replace to current model in use. Also it apparently has swarm capabilities...

www.usmessageboard.com

 

[Mushroom]

Does the radar have to be stationary to function?

Yes.



Here, maybe this will help you understand how it all works. There are several components in a firing battery, but the 4 that are absolutely needed to function are the command van (ECS), the power plant (EPP), the RADAR itself, and 1 or more launchers. Some other parts like the Antenna Mast Group (AMG) are part of a typical emplacement, but are not required to engage targets. And it typically takes around 30 minutes to emplace a battery once it has arrived on location, a bit less if the site has already been prepared for them.

 

[Mushroom]

Vastator
And where exactly in your reference does it say it trails a fiber optic cable?

Come on now, you are the one that made that claim. Then you provide a reference that says nothing of the sort. You are going to have to do much better than that.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Yes.



Here, maybe this will help you understand how it all works. There are several components in a firing battery, but the 4 that are absolutely needed to function are the command van (ECS), the power plant (EPP), the RADAR itself, and 1 or more launchers. Some other parts like the Antenna Mast Group (AMG) are part of a typical emplacement, but are not required to engage targets. And it typically takes around 30 minutes to emplace a battery once it has arrived on location, a bit less if the site has already been prepared for them.

It’s so strange that the Patriot can only work with stationary ground based radar

 

[Vastator]

Vastator
And where exactly in your reference does it say it trails a fiber optic cable?

Come on now, you are the one that made that claim. Then you provide a reference that says nothing of the sort. You are going to have to do much better than that.

Try this one...

Russian Fiber Optic Drone Beats Any Jammer (UPDATE: Ukraine Version)

The Ukrainians recently captured a Russian drone which communicates via a fiber-optic link, making it jam-proof. This looks like a big headache and not just for Ukraine.

www.forbes.com

The technology for controlling drones via fiber-optics already exists, but it is a highly niche area with no broad commercial application.

UPDATE: 18th March Ukrainian drone development and production group Dronarnia have posted a video of their own version, a small FPV quadcopter controlled via a fiber-optic link. Current range is one kilometer, but this is likely to be extended.

 

[TheGreatSatan]

Democrats are fighting Russia to the last Ukrainian.

 

[Hutch Starskey]

It’s so strange that the Patriot can only work with stationary ground based radar

It’s old tech.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

Democrats are fighting Russia to the last Ukrainian.

It’s evil