More drones, over UK bases
Somehow his doesn’t seem like a TikTok challenge stealing Hyundais.
Between Wednesday and Saturday last week, multiple drones were spotted flying over and presumably surveilling US air bases in the UK.
The objects were seen between Wednesday and Saturday flying over the Royal Air Force’s Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Feltwell bases, all used by the US Air Force (USAF).
“The number of (unmanned aircraft systems) fluctuated and they ranged in size/configuration,” a spokesperson for the US Air Forces in Europe said in a statement.
Sounds reminiscent of the drones spotted over Norfolk a week or so back, doesn’t it? I would hesitate to suggest that the difference between the two is just about one mother ship’s sailing time?
A spokesperson for Britain’s Ministry of Defence said: “We take threats seriously and maintain robust measures at defence sites. This includes counter-drone security capabilities.” CNN
If it ain’t on their CCTV, they’ll never know…
An unidentified 1.5 by 1.5 metre drone appeared to tail the Royal Navy flagship HMS Queen Elizabeth as it entered the port of Hamburg, Germany, on Friday. The Telegraph
The Germans claimed they targeted the drone with an anti-drone system, but I notice the conspicuous lack of phrasing like “successfully” or “brought down.”
Category: Science and Technology
If they took threats seriously, they’d shot the damn things out of the air…somehow. And how do they know that no sensitive intel was collected? Just the fact that the drones were allowed to fly over these areas, unmolested, is intel in itself. Maybe I’m wrong, but one would think that if just one or two of the drones had a thermite grenade as a payload and hit one of the parked aircraft, and that parked aircraft had a full load of fuel, what’s the chance of starting a chain reaction of aircraft cooking off?
I don’t want anything flying over Fire Base Magnolia and I surely don’t think it’s a good idea to have a potential weapon flying over a military facility.
I saw some article where at some Renaissance Fair event, a dude with a javelin took down a drone.
They were talking about making it a regular even of javalines vs. drone dragons.
Crossbows are very reliable nowadays as well.
Imma looking at Crossbows now, Brother Graybeard…for reasons. Some models are rather spendy, but, Hey better to have and not need than need and not have.
Another take on this subject from Fox…
https://www.foxnews.com/world/unidentified-drones-spotted-over-us-bases-uk-do-not-appear-belong-hobbyists
Every base, especially those with active air traffic have plenty of shotguns about. (I always volunteered for ‘bird control ‘, great stress relief)
A 3″ or 3.5″ 12ga with #4 – 00 Buck should do the trick. Those ‘ bolo ‘ rounds do a pretty good job on drones too. Especially the quad-rotor type.
But from the ground a shotgun has extremely limited range. Any drone flying over 200 or so feet up is pretty much out of range.
Yeah, it’s only good for fairly low altitudes. You would need a CWIS type MG, or a well trained gunner for the serious stuff.
But as you stated below, there is a ‘ what goes up, must come down’ issue.
I wonder what the vertical range is for .17 HMR or .17 WSM? And, how much damage a 17-20gn bullet can result from a terminal velocity free fall?
Get Silver Star chick to shoot them down.
How is it going with the DARPA project of AI-controlled drone waves?
The Chicoms showed up a similar system last week.
Russia says they have identified a US base in Poland as a target. Wonder if they want to pull the trigger on Article 5 and see how it goes?
That would be a near suicidal act for Pooty.
You just know he’s itching to hit it.
I’m no Pentagon or CIA intel specialist (I’m smart enough to stay out of that cesspool) but…
…our enemies are flagging their intentions in bright neon letters, and our military is not able (possibly capable, not not able/willing) to stop their spying?
I’ll put on my wizard’s robes and predict that before 47 has a good chance to fix our military, we’ll experience some form of attack.
I need to invest in some more ammo.
Start with, post some folks with Trap guns and Turkey loads. Tungsten/Iron. Make it a contest. Bragging rights, plus a trophy. AAM for X and ARCOM for some multiple of X. Beer at the club?
Next, we need H/K drones to bag the opposition. Call them “raptors”. Make it a contest. (Above) Build what you think works and go hunting. Tap all that Geek/Bubba just sitting there.
Training flights. Use the helicopter downwash to knock drones down. How can we coordinate without bumping rotors? Maybe a chopper or big drone dropping nets? Rocks? Maybe the firefighters can downwash drones.
Firehose/monitor batteries? Swoosh!
Back to the boffins. Give me a working Star Wars “demp” gun. That’s the zap-blaster that was used by Jawas to knock out R2D2. Long ago I read an article on using explosive plates to squeeze out a directed EMP. Kinda “rail gun” ish, but hurl the magnetic zorch instead.
Maybe MASER weapons?
Model rockets and chaffballs?
Harpoon crossbows?
Polish cannon?
C’mon Geeks! Bubbas, the beer is getting warm.
And damingly, why are no CGs asking forgiveness for turning loose their fucking ADA people? Balls of hamsters.
F*ck yeah– it flies, it dies! Get some!
Bolo or ballistic net rounds could do the job.
Better than blowing it to pieces before it can be throughly examined
What goes up must come down… imagine if some Brit was hit by a falling bullet.
The British police would probably arrest him for unauthorized possession of a bullet. Especially if he made a meme that hurt someone’s feelings.
Hunter Drone with “recoiless rifle” setup, but a smoothbore shotgun.
That sounds like a good idea. You could have multiple tubes.
An American 180 .22LR SMG w/ AA mount
and spider sights would be a fun and ludicrous way to down drones.
A 275rnd mag at 1200rpm would do the job…..and be fun as hell
Ha! I never knew the Yugos made a knock off of the 180
https://modernfirearms.net/en/submachine-guns/yugoslavia-submachine-guns/mgv-176-eng/
Personal air defense weaponry now– drones need it!
