Angel Has Fallen

Drone swarm...the writers are keeping current...that is a very real, legitimate threat.

I attended a recent game where a drone swarm launched from the hold of a freighter was used by an adversary to attack one of our major ports...the port was decimated and completely unusable afterwards.
 
Long_Hunter said:
Drone swarm...the writers are keeping current...that is a very real, legitimate threat.

I attended a recent game where a drone swarm launched from the hold of a freighter was used by an adversary to attack one of our major ports...the port was decimated and completely unusable afterwards.
Click to expand...
What kind of drones were they supposed to be? I was under the impression that drone swarms were made up of small relatively lightweight units that could overwhelm an armored vehicle, etc.

Seems to me they would have to be large enough to carry at least 500lb or larger bombs to decimate a port, i.e. Reaper size. What country has the ability to launch that many large drones from a freighter?
 
Last edited:
Flashpoint said:
What kind of drones were they supposed to be? I was under the impression that drone swarms were made up of small relatively lightweight units that could overwhelm an armored vehicle, etc.

Seems to me they would have to be large enough to carry at least 500lb or larger bombs to decimate a port, i.e. Reaper size. What country has the ability to launch that many large drones from a freighter?
Click to expand...

Good questions...shutting down a seaport (or airport) only requires certain critical control nodes & capabilities be impacted...most of which is the result of our reliance on technological modernization; you don't have to sink ships and blow-up warehouses to close a port down anymore.

Both the Russians and Chinese have developed "suicide" drones...typically with a 4 foot wingspan, around 30+ minutes of flight time at speeds in excess of 80 mph and can carry 6+lbs of explosive (doesn't sound like a lot...but it really is quite enough)...a 155mm rd has about 24lbs of explosive, so 6+lbs is going to be similar to an 82mm mortar rd impact.

The Russians themselves were victims of a "drone Swarm" in Syria a year or so ago...Daesh hit Hmeimim airfield with a small swarm of GPS guided, off-the-shelf commercial drones carrying just a few pounds of explosives each...and they went after ammo, fuel, and C2 capabilities...did a lot of damage and opened some eyes.

U.S. transportation infrastructure...sea, air, & rail...is totally undefended against such threats (actually against almost any militarized threat), not to mention power generation capabilities, refineries, natural gas, etc...

FWIW, the Red Team doesn't always explain the details, usually only the means and results in order to move the game forward.
 
Long_Hunter said:
Good questions...shutting down a seaport (or airport) only requires certain critical control nodes & capabilities be impacted...most of which is the result of our reliance on technological modernization; you don't have to sink ships and blow-up warehouses to close a port down anymore.

Both the Russians and Chinese have developed "suicide" drones...typically with a 4 foot wingspan, around 30+ minutes of flight time at speeds in excess of 80 mph and can carry 6+lbs of explosive (doesn't sound like a lot...but it really is quite enough)...a 155mm rd has about 24lbs of explosive, so 6+lbs is going to be similar to an 82mm mortar rd impact.

The Russians themselves were victims of a "drone Swarm" in Syria a year or so ago...Daesh hit Hmeimim airfield with a small swarm of GPS guided, off-the-shelf commercial drones carrying just a few pounds of explosives each...and they went after ammo, fuel, and C2 capabilities...did a lot of damage and opened some eyes.

U.S. transportation infrastructure...sea, air, & rail...is totally undefended against such threats (actually against almost any militarized threat), not to mention power generation capabilities, refineries, natural gas, etc...

FWIW, the Red Team doesn't always explain the details, usually only the means and results in order to move the game forward.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the informative reply!
 
Long_Hunter said:
Good questions...shutting down a seaport (or airport) only requires certain critical control nodes & capabilities be impacted...most of which is the result of our reliance on technological modernization; you don't have to sink ships and blow-up warehouses to close a port down anymore.

Both the Russians and Chinese have developed "suicide" drones...typically with a 4 foot wingspan, around 30+ minutes of flight time at speeds in excess of 80 mph and can carry 6+lbs of explosive (doesn't sound like a lot...but it really is quite enough)...a 155mm rd has about 24lbs of explosive, so 6+lbs is going to be similar to an 82mm mortar rd impact.

The Russians themselves were victims of a "drone Swarm" in Syria a year or so ago...Daesh hit Hmeimim airfield with a small swarm of GPS guided, off-the-shelf commercial drones carrying just a few pounds of explosives each...and they went after ammo, fuel, and C2 capabilities...did a lot of damage and opened some eyes.

U.S. transportation infrastructure...sea, air, & rail...is totally undefended against such threats (actually against almost any militarized threat), not to mention power generation capabilities, refineries, natural gas, etc...

FWIW, the Red Team doesn't always explain the details, usually only the means and results in order to move the game forward.
Click to expand...
Just curious, were the Daesh drones fixed wing or multirotors? I'm into RC myself and understand just how easy this could be with off the shelf commercial technology.

I fully expect RC flight controllers with autonomous (GPS waypoint) capability to suddenly become unavailable soon. Stock up while you can.
 
Last edited:
Flashpoint said:
Just curious, were the Daesh drones fixed wing or multirotors?
Click to expand...
No idea... the report I read did not specify type; however, Daesh has used both fixed and rotary -wing platforms, whatever they could get their hands on.
 
I just watched it, after dad asked me if I had seen it. I hadn't, so I says, why not?

It played out in typical fashion, but was enjoyable. If there was anything I didn't care for, it was the typical Hollywood slant. In one scene, the VP spoke of Russian election tampering, as if it were fact. In another, one guy (who is quickly disarmed), identifies himself as "militia," when trying to detain the suspect. He couldn't just be a dude with a gun that's thinking he's doing the right thing. No, he's militia.

Other than that, I liked it.
 
Just finished this, it's on Netflix

I liked it
Like @kcult , I found the Russian tampering thing, as well as the militia bit, awkward.
But it's a good action movie in line with the others, just less skull stabbing
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom