TxRover Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 1 hour ago, ICTChris said: The Russian MoD has released a statement saying that an Ukraine attacked the Engels and Dyagilevo airfields with Soviet era UAVs. Apparently the UAVs look like this. The picture is likely a Tu-141 Strizh (1979) or Tu-143 Reys (1982). While retired from Russian service, Ukraine reactivated some Tu-141’s in 2014, and while not designed with a warhead, one could be added. Trans-sonic, low-level penetrator with 1,000km range, but Ukraine likely has less than 50, from a total production of 142. The Tu-143 is a version with a smaller engine and much lower range and somewhat lower speed, but Ukraine also likely has some and could re-engineer them for bigger motors. Total production is unknown, but could be in the low thousands. There is also the chance it’s a Tu-300 Korshun, the mid-2000’s Russian development of the earlier models. This baby is supersonic, and has weapon hardpoints and a longer range, but there is no record of any being transferred out of Russian inventory. Regardless, a low and fast inbound small aircraft sized target is not a bad tactic to make the Russians react and possibly move their forces further back, reducing their effectiveness…and/or making the Russians start keeping anti-air teams on 24/7 alert up to 1,000 km from the frontlines, which could easily result in a few friendly fire incidents. Expect Russian civilians to start flooding Russian air defence centers with reports of low flying objects, which is a bonus. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 2 hours ago, ICTChris said: The Russian MoD has released a statement saying that an Ukraine attacked the Engels and Dyagilevo airfields with Soviet era UAVs. Apparently the UAVs look like this. Gerry Anderson's got a lot to answer for. And here's one of the pilots of the manned version: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leggy Blonde Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 5 minutes ago, Hillonearth said: Gerry Anderson's got a lot to answer for. And here's one of the pilots of the manned version: Wid-den 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillonearth Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 43 minutes ago, Leggy Blonde said: Wid-den Aye, they originally planned to make the Angels finger puppets but it just got too confusing and nobody was getting any work done. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted December 5, 2022 Share Posted December 5, 2022 Off the record briefings saying Ukrainian special forces were on the ground guiding in the UAVs https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/05/world/russia-ukraine-war-news 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sergeant Wilson Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 6 hours ago, ICTChris said: Off the record briefings saying Ukrainian special forces were on the ground guiding in the UAVs https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/12/05/world/russia-ukraine-war-news Doesn't that defeat the purpose a wee bit? I thought smart missiles and drones etc were made to negate the need for people on the ground. (Keep in mind, I didn't know tanks, and other things that look a bit like tanks, needed people walking beside them.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 (edited) 4 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said: Doesn't that defeat the purpose a wee bit? I thought smart missiles and drones etc were made to negate the need for people on the ground. (Keep in mind, I didn't know tanks, and other things that look a bit like tanks, needed people walking beside them.) I think most militaries use special forces to help target strikes, especially ones hundreds of miles behind enemy lines. On the subject, a kamikaze drone blew up a Russian fuel depot in Kursk last night. Edited December 6, 2022 by ICTChris 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LongTimeLurker Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 (edited) Maybe worth bearing in mind that a 1970s era Soviet UAV of this general type made it all the way to Zagreb before crash landing early on in the war. Throw in some sort of GPS guidance system for reaching a predetermined set of coordinates and pack in plenty of high explosives et voila. I doubt the Russians are in the habit of moving their strategic bombers or oil storage facilities about in the middle of the night so it's probably easy enough for the Ukrainians to figure out what they want to try to hit with images from commercial satellites they have been reported to have access to. Wonder how many of these old UAVs former Warsaw pact NATO members in eastern Europe could still have sitting around in warehouses. Manufacturing them from scratch is unlikely to be mission impossible (perhaps with a little help from the Poles in providing facilities under NATO Article 5 protection) if it is a design from 50 years ago. Edited December 6, 2022 by LongTimeLurker 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 5 hours ago, Sergeant Wilson said: Doesn't that defeat the purpose a wee bit? I thought smart missiles and drones etc were made to negate the need for people on the ground. (Keep in mind, I didn't know tanks, and other things that look a bit like tanks, needed people walking beside them.) Maybe these are flying tanks? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 16 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said: Maybe these are flying tanks? Don't be silly, how could you walk beside a flying tank? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bairnardo Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 You di wonder about the timing here... Biden suddenly breaks cover to talk about it being time for peace talks... The Russians chat some shit about the annexed areas, then the Ukranians knock in an accurate strike hundreds of miles inside Russia. So they have either, targeting teams in Russia, or someone is supplying their conveniently timed new found long range drones with targeting info. Given that these bombers were pictured on twitter almost immediately, you can only imagine what satellite data NATO are sitting on....Wonder if Biden is subtly saying to Vlad.... Looks like they can just about reach out and touch you and yours now. You either come to table or you go live in a bunker. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 11 minutes ago, welshbairn said: Don't be silly, how could you walk beside a flying tank? You'd be in a plane, obviously. (Or something that looked like a plane.) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 28 minutes ago, Jacksgranda said: You'd be in a plane, obviously. (Or something that looked like a plane.) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiegoDiego Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 On the subject, a kamikaze drone blew up a Russian fuel depot in Kursk last night.I find single-use drones environmentally abhorrent. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 We need a greener arms industry. One that does not simply pay lip service to their carbon footprint. I'm putting Rayethon on notice, reusable weapons of mass destruction now. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bairnardo Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 We need a greener arms industry. One that does not simply pay lip service to their carbon footprint. I'm putting Rayethon on notice, reusable weapons of mass destruction now.What about a giant fucking laser in the sky? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Slim Charles. said: We need a greener arms industry. One that does not simply pay lip service to their carbon footprint. I'm putting Rayethon on notice, reusable weapons of mass destruction now. At the very least use biodgradable drones when you are blowing up thousands of barrels of aviation fuel. Do better Ukrainian Air Force. Edited December 6, 2022 by ICTChris 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 15 minutes ago, Bairnardo said: 16 minutes ago, Slim Charles. said: We need a greener arms industry. One that does not simply pay lip service to their carbon footprint. I'm putting Rayethon on notice, reusable weapons of mass destruction now. What about a giant fucking laser in the sky? As long as its not tested on animals beforehand. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee-Bey Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 11 minutes ago, ICTChris said: At the very least use biodgradable drones when you are blowing up thousands of barrels of aviation fuel. Do better Ukrainian Air Force. It's a start. Single use plastics have no place on today's modern battlefield. What sort of example are we showing future generations here ? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welshbairn Posted December 6, 2022 Share Posted December 6, 2022 I hope at least they've switched to unleaded bullets these days. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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