Yet Another Drone Swarm: This one is Chinese

China Electronics Technology Group Corporation said it has flown 119 fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles simultaneously, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The Chinese drone maker Ehang sent a squadron of 1,000 drones into the air earlier this year, state media reported, but they were powered by rotary wing technology.

No details were given in the report of where or when the Chinese company made its record attempt.

www.scmp.com...

I would say one of the big changes in warfare over the 2020s will be the advent of drone swarms. This will be for both surveillance and strike.

They will not replace, but could compliment missiles. Think persistent, mobile lethality.

I wonder if they could make any solar powered on that small a scale...probably too heavy and wouldn't generate enough power at the perdix scale. hrm.

Nothing solar at that scale, but batteries have gotten impressive. Swarms around planes will make a huge difference- imagine a smart flare for incoming missiles- or a smart bomb flying around you, capable of breaking formation and smashing into a target without waiting for instruction.

Scary stuff.

a reply to: lordcomac

I've mentioned before the idea of using swarms for CAS.

A unit gets pinned down in Afghanistan. They call for a swarm. The FAC takes control and gets an accurate picture of the positions of the attackers and then assigns targets. Each one carries a 40mm grenade equivalent. Or for a larger weapon an 80mm mortar shell. Or even a 120mm.

If you had a cell that could fit four 120mm shell drones, it could fit nine 80mm or 36 40mm. if you had a mini drone with the round from the XM-25 in it, that's only 25mm...

a reply to: anzha

The Centurion UAV flown by NASA was solar powered and that was back in 1997-98.

It's precursor, the Pathfinder was from the 80s to early 90s.

Drone swarms. Seems to me this could be related to what is written in Revelations about those big bug like creatures that go only after the evil people. So, who's version of god gets to choose what is considered evil?

a reply to: anzha

Think persistent, mobile lethality.

I wonder if they could make any solar powered on that small a scale...probably too heavy and wouldn't generate enough power at the perdix scale. hrm.

But could employ solar power to keep batteries charged in a stand by or sleep mode.

Imagine a drone swarm targeting a group of tanks for instance. They could be small and released to break into squadrons that each target one tank... not to destroy the tank itself, their size and load capacity would limit their destructive capability. They would be programmed to move with the tank when it moves, hibernate nearby when it stops and wait for the tanks occupants to exit thru hatches, then individually close and detonate a small charge, killing off the tank crew, one at a time.

If they even figure out whats going they will find themselves trapped inside , meanwhile the small drones waiting outside will bide their time in sleep mode , their motion detectors active, their batteries kept topped off by trickle charge from solar cells literally, forever.

This kind of waiting, sleep mode would work for any place enemy combatants choose to hide, buildings, culverts, caves, etc.

Reminds me of a Wile E Coyote, Road Runner episode where coyote releases a bunch of darts with bombs attached, they keep showing up and ruining his traps throughout the cartoon.

Edit: Found the part of cartoon that emulates a 'drone swarm'...

a reply to: muzzleflash

Yup, but those are really big.

a reply to: intrptr

That would be one way.

A 120mm mortar shell embedded in a UAV on the roof of a tank might do the job, too.

Tank company coming? Launch 11 cells worth of 120mm suicide UAVs. You have 44 to take out 14 (US) or 10 (Russian) tanks. I might only use 8 on a Russian tank company though.

IFVs? Use the 80mms.

light vehicles? 40mm.

infantry or mounted infantry? 25mm.

You get the idea.

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: intrptr

That would be one way.

A 120mm mortar shell embedded in a UAV on the roof of a tank might do the job, too.

Tank company coming? Launch 11 cells worth of 120mm suicide UAVs. You have 44 to take out 14 (US) or 10 (Russian) tanks. I might only use 8 on a Russian tank company though.

IFVs? Use the 80mms.

light vehicles? 40mm.

infantry or mounted infantry? 25mm.

You get the idea.

No I don't. My scenario is a lot less destructive, requires lots less active participation.When drone swarms become proficient there will be no need to enter a theatre of combat anymore, expect to clean up the bodies.

Big drones you envision are expensive, require bases for refueling and reloading, can be jammed, hacked, etc.

Armies of small drones are fire and forget little kamikazes with small charges to kill enemy combatants, not their hardware.

I've always imagined this kinda tech being used as a type of upgraded cluster bomb.
Drop or fire a large missile that releases a ton of these things in the air. They would just fly down towards their intended targets. A smart guided carpet bomb in a way, except each individual munition was self guided.
It would be hard to stop these if they were released higher up in the atmosphere and just kinda glided/flew to the targets.

Imagine the range they would have.

a reply to: intrptr

Except you are proposing purely autonomous weapons. While that is possible, it is going to be a while before it is accepted.

a reply to: anzha

a reply to: ProjectedLogic

Ever seen this?
I also remember the Indians launched a rocket with 100 drone micro satellites for the US... only guessing what they could be used for.

a reply to: intrptr

Yup. We discussed it here on ATS.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: intrptr

Rather, the shortcut to your concept of battle is unnecessary. Release drone probes onto attacking tanks, they each chose a victim, latch on to it electronically (radioing home) and mechanically. Soon, the incoming arrives.

a reply to: Aliensun

The tank occupants can detect a homing beacon broadcast signal, open the hatch, find the bug and remove it.

But again, in my scenario the waiting drone equipped with a small charge can detect the opening of the hatch, the heat signature of the crewman exiting and attack him directly, killing him, thus precluding the need for 'phoning home'. Just wait for the hatch to open and fly inside and detonate, even.

Obviously the drone swarm was released nearby because the column of vehicles was already fixed. Sending the micro drones to swarm around the tanks or even attach and wait for however long it takes for crewmen to exit... is much cheaper, less dangerous and completely self contained.

The theatre of conflict right now sort of utilizes this principle but at extreme risk to tank killer teams . Here, even hit by a TOW missile...

if a micro drone was waiting nearby it could chase down the crewman that evacuates the turret.

originally posted by: anzha
a reply to: lordcomac

I've mentioned before the idea of using swarms for CAS.

A unit gets pinned down in Afghanistan. They call for a swarm. The FAC takes control and gets an accurate picture of the positions of the attackers and then assigns targets. Each one carries a 40mm grenade equivalent. Or for a larger weapon an 80mm mortar shell. Or even a 120mm.

If you had a cell that could fit four 120mm shell drones, it could fit nine 80mm or 36 40mm. if you had a mini drone with the round from the XM-25 in it, that's only 25mm...

There are anti-tank weapons that do this. What if those skeets were replaced with ten round semi-automatic rifles?

www.youtube.com...

Be ideal for snipers and infantry recon.Send a swarm into buildings.