Interesting article: Perdix drones

[jarraya]

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... vs-432993/

[Peter66]

I do not see their purpose. They are very small and probably exceedingly hard to destroy but they look like they fly low altitude? Does that not make them fairly obvious (sound)?

Perhaps I'm ignorant to some of the finer details but it just seems a terrible idea. Anyone got any input? It's an interesting concept I just can't see it working.

[Gunner98]

I think that this is more of a 'proof of concept' but there are plenty of uses. Observation, EW, Kamikaze, or a mix of them all.

Actually even these ones, because they're observable they would cause anyone on the ground to go into hiding or move away which achieves suppression.

An interesting evolution.

B

[Peter66]

An interesting thought of using them for suppression actually. Perhaps a way to get civilians in to cover? A non lethal scare tactic able to be deployed on to villages etc?

The other concern is how to retrieve them. I'm assuming their life span of power is very limited.

Thought of another shortcoming, explosions. Could someone not just throw a grenade and take out half the swarm? They did not look to be particularly high and possibly in range of fragmentation. I'd be interested to see what happens with these.

[Gunner98]

I guessing that they have a 'return home' or 'self destruct' feature.

I doubt a grenade would do anything, perhaps something like a Mk-19 GMG, or some good old fashioned AAA, which is largely extinct in most military's.

There are some anti-drone technologies out there that are probably more effective. Zap them with a focused electron cloud to interrupt their ability to communicate with each other and they will stray off into never, never land.

Hay.. just remembered - this technology is not new [:D] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4xy2W6cefk

B

[Peter66]

Ahahaha! Oh that was a good one. Perhaps that was the inspiration!

[Primarchx]

If nothing else they look like a nifty way to perform BDA. Drop your JDAM and squirt out a few Perdex to get initial and persistent BDA on the target. Since they follow targets it's a nifty way to locate/identify logistics transports and nodes.

[Gunner98]

It's very likely that a similar system has been used in the Ukraine, primarily for locating targets for massed artillery strikes - quite effective.

B

[dcpollay]

Fly them over to the airport and into the jet engine intakes.

[Dysta]

Or an energency delivery system, like supplying MRE, ammo, med and other infantry equipment to ground troops. Soldiers can also reuse these drones too when recharged and control with their tablets.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/20160623/mar ... y-missions

[Primarchx]

ORIGINAL: Dysta

Or an energency delivery system, like supplying MRE, ammo, med and other infantry equipment to ground troops. Soldiers can also reuse these drones too when recharged and control with their tablets.

http://www.jdnews.com/news/20160623/mar ... y-missions

Are they load-bearing? They look like they're the size of a shoe.

[Eggstor]

ORIGINAL: Primarchx

Are they load-bearing? They look like they're the size of a shoe.

The story says that the current model can carry 3.3 pounds, but they're expecting to upscale rather radically later this month.

[mikmykWS]

Guessing these will be more for intelligence etc. but could do other things. Guessing you seed an area they move report etc. Some will be discovered but many won't and the intel collection, jamming, etc will continue.

Microstuff is a little scary as the imagination can run wild with what could be done. For some reason that bug scene in one of the Indiana Jones movies comes to mind.

Mike

[Ferret69]

ORIGINAL: Gunner98
Actually even these ones, because they're observable they would cause anyone on the ground to go into hiding or move away which achieves suppression.

There has been a recorded case of a drone being used in a suppression role, as detailed in the book Hunter-Killer. An RQ-2 Pioneer was heard by an Iraqi man who was driving his car, he knew from the buzz of the RQ-2 that Americans were watching and, not wanting his car to be destroyed [they're status symbols in Iraq] he got out, arms raised until US forces in an HMMVW arrived. It was the first prisoner taken by an RPA and one of a rare club of prisoners taken by aircraft.

Ferret