https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/246034-us-ally-just-shot-200-drone-3-4-million-patriot-missile

makes sense.

Fascinating stuff.

It's impressive they could track and hit it, I figured those things didn't even show up due to being to small.

you would be surprise what a radar can track, they just use filters to avoid clutters,birds and UFOs.

Asymmetrical warfare, huh?

"I expect the F-35, when and if it finally debuts, will face a similar problem. Even if future F-35s manage an $85 million flyaway cost, even our most expensive drones are vastly cheaper — $6.66 million for the Army’s MQ-1C Gray Eagle and $14.75 million for an MQ-9 Reaper. I’m not claiming that either of these vehicles would be able to destroy an F-35 in combat — they aren’t designed for that role. But the gap between the cost-per-vehicle for each program suggests future drones that were theoretically capable of downing an F-35 might be dramatically less expensive than the F-35 itself."

Wow, what ignorance. The MQ-1 / MQ-9 are far from being the most expensive UAV's the US operates, the RQ-4 Global Hawk costs in excess of $125 million each. But that wouldn't fit this reporter's agenda now would it? And all cost estimates I've seen of any UAV approaching the abilities of a 4th or 5th gen multi role aircraft are all in excess of $100 each. UAV's are NOT the cheap, all encompassing panacea that some claim them to be.

Well if that drone was surveilling a nuclear reactor or military base, $3.4m may be cheap in the grand scheme of things.

(but maybe there's an application here for Metal Storm tech)

Lasers. One day soon that will level it.

I'm guessing it was Turkey he is talking about. I have seen that quad copter pic used in other news reports.

Very soon.

https://youtu.be/IiEXkqIbKsY

Ground-based, yes.

We will never see an operationally useful air laser on a drone smaller than a Global Hawk, and it will most likely be the purview of big-engined jets.

The US has been suffering this problem for awhile, using expensive precision weapons to take out technicals and other cheap targets.



The Jedi Master

I've never understood that. Is the USAF out of unguided rockets and dumb iron bombs?

The shortage is in tolerance for collateral damage... whether that is good or bad is in the eyes of the beholder (and better left to PWEC).