Re:US Military Asks for Help Locating Missing F-35 Fighter Jet
by nradov on Monday September 18, 2023 @02:28PM
(#37560054)
The cheap drones work well in Ukraine where the adversaries are locked into attrition fights with largely static positions at short ranges. But those drones lack the range, speed, and sensors necessary to be effective in a potential conflict with China around the first island chain. The US military is currently pivoting to focus on that scenario.
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Re:US Military Asks for Help Locating Missing F-35 Fighter Jet
by wongarsu on Monday September 18, 2023 @02:48PM
(#37560313)
If you're trying to defend the beaches of Taiwan or the Philippines, cheap drones sound like a great asset. If you're trying to project power into Chinese mainland less so.
A big reason why the US will continue to prefer drones measured in tons instead of grams is that cheap drones are most useful when you have boots on the ground, which the US likes to avoid. But with the budgets available it's not like they have to choose between F-35 sized drones and Dji Mini sized drones, they can just get both.