Re:Does the Tank Have a Future?
by dolmen on Thursday June 16, 2022 @03:08AM
(#31763277)
It's easier for infantry to carry one drone and ammunitions than a set of one-shot drones.
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Re:Does the Tank Have a Future?
by dodobirdlord on Friday June 17, 2022 @12:51AM
(#31774248)
In practice it’s actually the opposite. A reusable drone has to have enough fuel to come back, which halves its range compared to a loitering munition that doesn’t come back. A reusable drone isn’t intended to collide with the target, and can’t be rocket-powered, so it will be much slower to reach and strike a target when the target is identified. It has to have the ability to land and to be rearmed, which adds complexity and thus expense.
Past a certain size a drone can fly high enough and far enough that it fills the combat role of an aircraft, but as far as man-portable systems go, well-resourced militaries demonstrate consistent preference for single-use guided explosives like the Javelin or Switchblade to maximize range and payload size and minimize time to impact.