Shooting down cheap drones not cost effective for US Navy

**ABNAK** · 12-19-23, 17:34

Originally Posted by TAZ

Since when has any government entity done things in an efficient and cost effective manner??

They need to be able to protect themselves, so I have zero issues with whacking the drones. Might be better to whack the shooters but that’s a political CF in normal days much less now.

We just need to up production. Maybe reroute some of that wasted foreign aid $$$ to places like Asscrackistan, and God knows what other useless places we but money at into production.

I would tend to agree that is the solution, or at least a major part of it.

**Krazykarl** · 12-19-23, 17:35

Originally Posted by SteyrAUG

It isn't hard to spend an enemy over the cliff.

Saddam was doing that, he'd threaten the US and we'd start ramping up a US response and then he'd stop being a threat. But the effort still cost the US military millions of dollars. That was the point.

In this instance, low cost drones can quickly raise the cost of defensive operations into multi million dollar amounts. I don't think this is a case of bean counters not wanting to protect lives but the realization that we need a more cost effective solution to the problem. Not everything needs a super sophisticated high tech solution, especially low tech threats.

Those 2 million dollar missiles were designed to deal with things like enemy fighters and incoming missiles.

I agree that designing future platforms to accommodate the low tech risk is appropriate. But, this smells like some Biden DOD official lamenting the expenditure of money when it is well known that our current ordnance capabilities have been depleted. Pissing and moaning that a US warship is spending too much money protecting itself and accomplishing the task at hand is bullshit.

**Slater** · 12-19-23, 17:36

If an Apache or Cobra could intercept them and match (or exceed) their speed then cannon fire would be a cheap solution.

**flenna** · 12-19-23, 17:47

The most effective response would be for the USN to vaporize the drone launch sites as soon as they are detected.

**FromMyColdDeadHand** · 12-19-23, 18:31

Lazers, even sharks with lasers.

Originally Posted by Krazykarl

I agree that designing future platforms to accommodate the low tech risk is appropriate. But, this smells like some Biden DOD official lamenting the expenditure of money when it is well known that our current ordnance capabilities have been depleted. Pissing and moaning that a US warship is spending too much money protecting itself and accomplishing the task at hand is bullshit.

Uhm, pretty sure it isn't a money thing. First off its a magazine/cell thing, then it is a global supply of missles thing. You can 3d print and put an Aurdino board with some c4 and make something that would wreck havoc on the topsides of our aluminum cans. Maybe $15k per killer drone. The dollars are more just a representation of how many there could be.

The solution is anti-drone drone swarms.

The gold-plated defense-contractor dream weapon systems designed to add every capability for every dime to sink the Kirov and hold back Backfire bombers is going to get its ass handed to it by 3D printed drones for pennies on the dollar.

Where are all this pieces-of-crap 'targets' that where cLittoral boats? Let those take the hits.

**LoboTBL** · 12-19-23, 19:16

Originally Posted by flenna

The most effective response would be for the USN to vaporize the drone launch sites as soon as they are detected.

This. This right here. Then start on suspected drone launch sites.

**Diamondback** · 12-19-23, 19:19

Originally Posted by SteyrAUG

I think you are gonna need something faster, but yeah something like ship mounted radar / gps targeting rotary guns probably need to be looked at.

Like I said a while back, lots of Goalkeepers and Phalanxes, maybe M134 Miniguns for the small and cheap threats.

**Coal Dragger** · 12-19-23, 20:08

This seems like a great mission for the Dumwalt class. Spin up a bunch 155mm HE shells that can be fired in the guns, put all of them on station steaming up and down the Yemeni coast dispensing steel rain on anything within 20 miles of the coast that has anything rise above the horizon on radar.