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Any decent engineer would make the fuel part of the warhead.
Drones, the Air Littoral, and the Looming Irrelevance of the USAF
- Thread starter dimsum
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Japan going heavy on drones for its coastal defence - above, on and under the water
And it is not just defensive missile costs that are problematic.
Every incursion into Japanese airspace demands a response by 2x F15s at a cost of about 5,000,000 yen per hour whether the intruder is crewed or uncrewed. The uncrewed vehicle is estimated to cost 70,000 yen per hour.
Japan scrambled its fighters its fighters 304 tines in 2024-25.
30 events included uncrewed vehicles.
It all costs money.
apnews.com
And it is not just defensive missile costs that are problematic.
Every incursion into Japanese airspace demands a response by 2x F15s at a cost of about 5,000,000 yen per hour whether the intruder is crewed or uncrewed. The uncrewed vehicle is estimated to cost 70,000 yen per hour.
Japan scrambled its fighters its fighters 304 tines in 2024-25.
30 events included uncrewed vehicles.
It all costs money.
Russia and China veto watered-down UN resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz
Russia and China have vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
apnews.com
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At the lighter end of the scale
interestingengineering.com
UK's HAL10 launcher can send 10 drones into the sky within seconds
UK company introduces HAL10 launcher capable of deploying 10 WASP modular drones for rapid reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance.
interestingengineering.com
HavokFour
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At the lighter end of the scale
View attachment 99618
UK's HAL10 launcher can send 10 drones into the sky within seconds
UK company introduces HAL10 launcher capable of deploying 10 WASP modular drones for rapid reconnaissance and battlefield surveillance.
Was wondering about the payload, it's 1kg. Nice looking purpose built FPV.
The cone end is actually the back of it.
ISSOS WASP » ISS Aerospace
WASP is a robust, tube-launched UAV representing next generation technology for semi-autonomous aerial systems.
www.issaerospace.com
Lot's of changes since 2023.
Baby picture.
ISS Aerospace announces NEW tactical UAV for time critical tasking » ISS Aerospace
ISS Aerospace announces NEW tactical UAV for time critical tasking ISS Aerospace (www.issaerospace.com), a leading UK innovator of cutting-edge Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS), is pleased to announce the unveiling of the tube-launched […]
www.issaerospace.com
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A key element in turning both attack and interceptor drones into a more effective reality: Low cost, disposable jet engines.
www.airandspaceforces.com
"Beehive says its 200-pound Frenzy 8 engine is part of the FAMM program through a prototyping effort to develop small expendable turbines.
"The Frenzy 8 can hit 100-300 pounds of thrust. Beehive says it is also developing a 100-pound variant, Frenzy 6, which has 100 pounds of thrust. The new contract is to complete vehicle integration, flight testing, and qualification of Frenzy 8 and begin manufacturing a test version of Frenzy 6, with options for for further development.
"Beehive is one of at at least half a dozen companies working on small engines capable of producing between 200 and 3,000 pounds of thrust for Air Force programs like FAMM and Collaborative Combat Aircraft—and that push is poised to expand in fiscal 2027; the service is requesting $973 million for FAMM between R&D and procurement and $1.37 billion for developing CCAs, among other efforts."
Tomahawk uses a 30 kg jet that generates between 400 and 1700 lbf of thrust, depending on model.
Kratos's Valkyrie uses a 2000 lbf engine, the Mako uses a 1000 lbf engine and the Firejet uses a pair of 80 lbf engines for a total of 160 lbf
Firejet Weight at launch 320 lb
Payload of 70 lb
Range 400 NM
Endurance 1.3 hours
Air Force Awards Contract to Develop Small, Disposable Engines
The Air Force awarded a $29.7 million contract to Beehive Industries to complete work on its small, disposable Frenzy 8 jet engine.
www.airandspaceforces.com
"Beehive says its 200-pound Frenzy 8 engine is part of the FAMM program through a prototyping effort to develop small expendable turbines.
"The Frenzy 8 can hit 100-300 pounds of thrust. Beehive says it is also developing a 100-pound variant, Frenzy 6, which has 100 pounds of thrust. The new contract is to complete vehicle integration, flight testing, and qualification of Frenzy 8 and begin manufacturing a test version of Frenzy 6, with options for for further development.
"Beehive is one of at at least half a dozen companies working on small engines capable of producing between 200 and 3,000 pounds of thrust for Air Force programs like FAMM and Collaborative Combat Aircraft—and that push is poised to expand in fiscal 2027; the service is requesting $973 million for FAMM between R&D and procurement and $1.37 billion for developing CCAs, among other efforts."
Tomahawk uses a 30 kg jet that generates between 400 and 1700 lbf of thrust, depending on model.
Kratos's Valkyrie uses a 2000 lbf engine, the Mako uses a 1000 lbf engine and the Firejet uses a pair of 80 lbf engines for a total of 160 lbf
Firejet Weight at launch 320 lb
Payload of 70 lb
Range 400 NM
Endurance 1.3 hours
OldSolduer
Army.ca Relic
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Cool idea. Canada will want to recover and rebuild the engines…A key element in turning both attack and interceptor drones into a more effective reality: Low cost, disposable jet engines.
Air Force Awards Contract to Develop Small, Disposable Engines
The Air Force awarded a $29.7 million contract to Beehive Industries to complete work on its small, disposable Frenzy 8 jet engine.
"Beehive says its 200-pound Frenzy 8 engine is part of the FAMM program through a prototyping effort to develop small expendable turbines.
"The Frenzy 8 can hit 100-300 pounds of thrust. Beehive says it is also developing a 100-pound variant, Frenzy 6, which has 100 pounds of thrust. The new contract is to complete vehicle integration, flight testing, and qualification of Frenzy 8 and begin manufacturing a test version of Frenzy 6, with options for for further development.
"Beehive is one of at at least half a dozen companies working on small engines capable of producing between 200 and 3,000 pounds of thrust for Air Force programs like FAMM and Collaborative Combat Aircraft—and that push is poised to expand in fiscal 2027; the service is requesting $973 million for FAMM between R&D and procurement and $1.37 billion for developing CCAs, among other efforts."
Tomahawk uses a 30 kg jet that generates between 400 and 1700 lbf of thrust, depending on model.
Kratos's Valkyrie uses a 2000 lbf engine, the Mako uses a 1000 lbf engine and the Firejet uses a pair of 80 lbf engines for a total of 160 lbf
Firejet Weight at launch 320 lb
Payload of 70 lb
Range 400 NM
Endurance 1.3 hours
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Britain thought AI-powered ‘robot fighter jets’ were years away. The Royal Air Force chief says the future is already here.
The head of the Royal Air Force told Business Insider that uncrewed aircraft are coming and being integrated into the force faster than expected.
www.businessinsider.com
"Air Chief Marshal Harvey Smyth, the head of the British Royal Air Force, said the UK initially thought it was roughly a decade away from becoming what he described as an "AI air force" that operates "robot fighter jets" alongside traditional crewed aircraft.
""We've known that that is our future, but maybe two, three years ago, we would have talked about 2035 as the endpoint. I think it's today," "
HavokFour
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Japan is deploying ultra-cheap cardboard drones built for swarm warfare and expendable combat missions — $2,000 expendable combat drones cost less than some gaming PCs
$2000 drones vs. millions of dollars worth of military equipment
$2000-$2500
Can remain in the air for 80 minutes or travel ~50 miles with a 3lbs payload.
Can be assembled in 5-10 minutes.
Shipped flat packed, 500 can fit into 1 standard shipping container.
Manufacturer's website:
AirKamuy｜Fixed wing aircraft manufacture in Japan
AirKamuy develops and manufactures fixed-wing VTOL aircraft and provides solutions using unmanned aircraft. We design from zero and assemble by ourselves, aiming to become the world’s number one fixed-wing VTOL aircraft manufacturer, and contribute to the world through the development of drones.
en.airkamuy.com
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Japan is deploying ultra-cheap cardboard drones built for swarm warfare and expendable combat missions — $2,000 expendable combat drones cost less than some gaming PCs
$2000 drones vs. millions of dollars worth of military equipmentwww.tomshardware.com
$2000-$2500
Can remain in the air for 80 minutes or travel ~50 miles with a 3lbs payload.
Can be assembled in 5-10 minutes.
Shipped flat packed, 500 can fit into 1 standard shipping container.
Trust the Japanese to come up with an Origami UAS.
HavokFour
Army.ca Veteran
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I added the manufacturer's website, have a look at their transforming Σ-1 VTOL drone.
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Likeable.
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Two sides of the UAV/C-UAV coin.
Printing your own drones in the field:
defence-blog.com
And light, mobile AD units ranging the front to counter them:
defence-blog.com
Printing your own drones in the field:
Pentagon funds drone microfactories that print UAVs in the field
San Diego drone startup Firestorm Labs has secured a $30 million contract under the Pentagon's Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies program to deploy its 3D-printed Tempest Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and the containerized microfactories that produce them
defence-blog.com
And light, mobile AD units ranging the front to counter them:
U.S. Army fields Ukraine-inspired mobile fire teams to counter drones
The U.S. Army has fielded Mobile Fire Teams in Lithuania, adapting a concept developed and battle-tested by Ukrainian forces fighting drone swarms since 2022 and deploying it along NATO's eastern flank as part of the Eastern Flank Deterrence Initiative. Soldiers
defence-blog.com
An ugly but inevitable development in the use of drones: I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this video, but it purports to be Hezbollah striking an Israeli Iron Dome launcher with an FPV. It then shows what looks like a followup strike on Israeli personnel either repairing, replacing, or removing the launcher. It looks legit at first glance… And nothing shown here isn’t completely plausible as a ‘today’ threat.
Given how small Israel is geographically, its integrated air defence system is potentially highly vulnerable to this sort of attack from neighbouring territories. There’s a risk of small UAS at least partially defanging Israel’s higher end systems that are relied on to defend against much larger ballistic threats.
While I’m sure Israel will pivot quickly to more hardened launchers and sites, this is probably still a most unwelcome development. They’re going to need to devise a way to launch these from under armour sufficient to protect against warheads on the magnitude of antitank RPGs or missiles. I don’t expect they’re starting from scratch- this has been super predictable… But regardless, it’s here.
Given how small Israel is geographically, its integrated air defence system is potentially highly vulnerable to this sort of attack from neighbouring territories. There’s a risk of small UAS at least partially defanging Israel’s higher end systems that are relied on to defend against much larger ballistic threats.
While I’m sure Israel will pivot quickly to more hardened launchers and sites, this is probably still a most unwelcome development. They’re going to need to devise a way to launch these from under armour sufficient to protect against warheads on the magnitude of antitank RPGs or missiles. I don’t expect they’re starting from scratch- this has been super predictable… But regardless, it’s here.
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no time lag in the video link
the drone unit commander mentions repeatedly that there is no time lag in the video link. This makes piloting far simpler. Operators can be based in another area, or on the other side of the world.
Julian Röpcke of German news outlet BILD reported this week from a Ukrainian remote drone operations site. The operators, flying Mavics, bombers, and FPV drones, remain in a base far from the front line, finding and striking Russian forces remotely.
the drone unit commander mentions repeatedly that there is no time lag in the video link. This makes piloting far simpler. Operators can be based in another area, or on the other side of the world.
Julian Röpcke of German news outlet BILD reported this week from a Ukrainian remote drone operations site. The operators, flying Mavics, bombers, and FPV drones, remain in a base far from the front line, finding and striking Russian forces remotely.
HavokFour
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This was something people started noticing when Ukraine started releasing footage of FP-2 drones hitting moving targets deep inside around I think around August, so it isn't just smaller drones benefiting from this system they have.
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US Air Force Eyes 1,000 Wingman Drones to Fight with Most Advanced Fighter Jets in the World
US Air Force advances 1,000 Loyal Wingman drone fleet as Netherlands joins CCA program alongside F-35 fighter operations.
aviationa2z.com
For Reference: F15s and F35s are going for about 100 MUSD apiece.
US Air Force CCA with the Anduril YFQ-44A and the General Atomics YFQ-42A
30 MUSD a copy
1000 CCAs by some near but indefinite future
Joined by the Dutch
Pilot in a 100 MUSD F35A expected to manage 4-8 CCA as well. (340-580 MUSD flight package)
With a Tablet.
Presumably the same tablet that allowed an Army Reserve Staff Sergeant to "fly" a UH-60 with only an hour of training.
US Navy Loyal Wingman with Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics and Northrop Grumman
15 MUSD a copy
Looking for hundreds in the "future"
Probably focused on seagoing drones.
USMC with the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie
3 to 5 MUSD a copy
Flying today
Can operate solo, with remote piloting, or paired with a manned aircraft
The USAFRL assessed that the Valkyries can perform the same critical missions as current manned and unmanned high-end aircraft.
Low cost jet engines are a growing priority
...
Hesgeth's Pentagon Target
300,000 drones by 2027 (less than 2 years)
16.000 drones currently in operation
10s of thousands this year
100s of thousands next year
Mostly of the battery powered type
25 companies competing for Army and Marine contracts
30,000 drones at 5000 USD by July
300,000 drones at 2500 USD by Dec 2027
1 drone per US Army squad by Dec 2026
LUCAS Shahed knock off
Tomahawk payload and range for 30-60,000 USD instead of 2.5 MUSD
....
And then, although not mentioned in the article
Lo Cost Containerized Cruise Missile programme ( a Loitering Munition or One Way Attack Drone by any other name).
Anduril Barracuda 500 M
216,000 USD apiece
50 kg payload delivered 500 NM in one hour
Fired from a standard 20 foot container with no preparation or equipment
16 missiles in a 20 foot container for 3.5 MUSD, or roughly the price of a Valkyrie and similar to the price of a Tomahawk or a PrSM.
With similar targeting capabilities.
1000 a year for 3 years
Part of a near term program that is buying 10,000 similar missiles from Anduril and other suppliers.
...
F35 100 MUSD
USAF CCA 30 MUSD
USN CCA 15 MUSD
USMC CCA (Valkyrie) 5 MUSD
Tomahawk 2.5 MUSD
Barracuda 0.2 MUSD
LUCAS 0.05 MUSD
HIMARS PrSM - 2-4 MUSD
