Sending a million-dollar missile to shoot down a drone worth a few hundred bucks.

I've been following the civil war in Syria since the beginning. Twice in the last few days, Israel has used Patriot missiles to shoot down drones that wandered across the border into the Golan Heights.

That got me thinking about the economics of that. I'm reminded of something a general said back in 1991 during the First Gulf War. It was something like, "I'm not going to shoot a million-dollar missile at a tent and hit a camel in the ass."

A quick Google search indicates that a Patriot missile costs about $3 million. Those drones that got shot down probably cost a few hundred bucks. Let's say a thousand dollars as a generous estimate. That's a cost ratio of 1000:1, assuming that only one Patriot missile was fired. (It's possible several might be fired at a given target).

I don't know where I'm going with this, except that it seems like a rather ridiculously expensive way to defend against drones.

It's only money. Governments print it by the truckloads.

RE: Sending a million-dollar missile to shoot down a drone worth a few hundred bucks.


Erm, that's the whole point!

Really depends on what the drone is up to and what it is carrying. If it is carrying an IED and targeting a school, it might be worth it. In any case, there are now drone killer drones available which might to a more cost-effective job. Just a matter of getting them through the pipeline. Besides, this is the very definition of asymmetric warfare. That's how it works.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

Well weapons manufactures are in bed with politicians... And generals don't have a budget anymore. They don't go to how to win war for cheap class.

Well, what we need then is a fleet of high-AI defense drones to track down and destroy the other drones. Then they'll learn and adapt to the strategies of their enemy drones and then one day they'll decide to cooperate and then the Terminator shows up. I've seen that documentary.

originally posted by: AndyFromMichigan
I've been following the civil war in Syria since the beginning. Twice in the last few days, Israel has used Patriot missiles to shoot down drones that wandered across the border into the Golan Heights.

That got me thinking about the economics of that. I'm reminded of something a general said back in 1991 during the First Gulf War. It was something like, "I'm not going to shoot a million-dollar missile at a tent and hit a camel in the ass."

A quick Google search indicates that a Patriot missile costs about $3 million. Those drones that got shot down probably cost a few hundred bucks. Let's say a thousand dollars as a generous estimate. That's a cost ratio of 1000:1, assuming that only one Patriot missile was fired. (It's possible several might be fired at a given target).

I don't know where I'm going with this, except that it seems like a rather ridiculously expensive way to defend against drones.

The missile has already been paid for. Had it not been used, it'd be dismantled in time and wasted. They do have a shelf life.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

You're talking about quadcopters if you're talking a few hundred dollars. These are military UAVs they're shooting at, not your average off the shelf drone you can buy at a hobby store.

a reply to: Blue Shift


phsy.org - Science fiction becomes science fact as researchers create liquid metal heartbeat.

They are working real hard on turning your documentary into a reality TV show. It always starts with all the screaming and the running...

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I don't know, but it seems to me that military drones are not cheap at all. I just looked at a small one like the police use that's $25,000+. Then you have the costs on the ground.

Imagine the training they got though...they literally hit a drone with a missile thats probably 10x the size of what it hit. Thats almost like shooting a .308 to hit a bee. Yea sure not cost effective but you know the Israelis...always gotta swing their dicks...ego issues and all.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

It's like buying $1,000 shoes to step on an ant.

But really, why should Israel care, they're toys; they'll get another $10 billion from us next year, or whatever it's up to now.

a reply to: Blaine91555

A patriot missile makes a 25k drone seem like a pack of chewing gum...

originally posted by: Blaine91555
I don't know, but it seems to me that military drones are not cheap at all. I just looked at a small one like the police use that's $25,000+. Then you have the costs on the ground.

$40,000.00 for a finger-sized drone? I gotta get myself into the drone business.

Look up MEHEL. They won't be using missiles anymore to shoot down drones.

a reply to: RickyD

It's hard to have an opinion without even knowing what the drones are, or what they are carrying.

If they are carrying a weapon of some kind, or surveillance equipment, to not shoot them down would be pretty dumb I think.

I have no idea what other ways they could take them down cheaper and I don't think they can chance what a drone is or what its carrying may mot be a major threat. Imagine a hobbyist drone like we can buy with a small explosive device or say Sarin gas flying into a crowded public space. I'd shoot them down too.

a reply to: Blue Shift

Me also. The company making them likely makes more profit from selling ten of them than I earn in a year. On top of that the infrastructure they have to pay for. Expensive business this war stuff.

a reply to: AndyFromMichigan

Back in my day we would have used one of these -

a reply to: Blaine91555

The most likely ones are the Mohajer-4 (most likely a copy of the IAI Aerostar), the Yasir (copy of the Insitu Scaneagle which is around $100,000 a copy), and the Shahed 129 (copy of the IAI Hermes 450 which is $2M a copy).

a reply to: RickyD

These aren't tiny quadcopters though. The OP is wrong about that. These are bigger aircraft that you think.