Attack of the Drones

[Skybird]

A German news story caught my attention today. In late Decembre and early January, Russian forces in Syria suffered heavy losses to drones in Syria. The attacks seemed to have been carried out by black-market or self-made drones, and struck the air force base at Hmeimim and the naval base at Tartus. Unique is that in one such attack a swarm of 10 drones attacked simultaneously. The flying platforms were equipped with 10 packs of explosves each. Several got shot down. In the earlier attack, three drones were used. Might have been a testing ballon for the bigger swarm later on.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/black-...an-base-attack

The German news says that on New Year's Eve the Russians fell victim to another attack already, which was reported about in the Russian paper Kommersant, while other Russian media stayed silent on it. It claims that during this attack seven military aircraft were destroyed. If true - Wowh. No wonder the Russians kept their mouth shut.

The attack distances during the strikes onon Hmeimim and Tartus should have been 70 and 30 km.

https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/3514249

Russia blaims high-technologized states responsible for the attack, pointing finger at the US by this without calling it by name. But the drones were made of ordinary components you can get in any selfmade market today.

This is the problem with the tehc distribution today: the common availability, even of sophisticated tehcnology. States can attack other states - not saiyng it was the case in these attacks, most likely it were Syrian rebels) by using drones manufactured with components build and aquired from all across the globe. it is practically impossible to identify a state behind such an attack. Organised groups, organised crime, literally the little provate man can reach out and touch the world in anger.

Russia claims the explosives they found on the drones, was made in the Ukraine. Proof was not provided.

Seven aircraft taken out, if the story is true. Wowh.

There is a lesson to be learned by Western forces as well.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

There is a lesson to be learned by Western forces as well.

Very much so

[Skybird]

These ten drones most likely, almost certainly, were cxontrolled by ten individual operators. I do not dare to maginbe what high tch states do with autonomous drones - and swarm intelligence. To me, this outlook is a deeply worrying one since several years, since the first time I ever spend some thought on it and have read about it.

And I finally have to ask this: past tense of "to read" - is it "read" or "red"? Certainly it is not "roed" LOL . I weasel around this case since long time...

[Catfish]

to read, read, read (pronounced to reed, red, red)

But yes, those drones are really becoming a threat.
In one of the books of the "three body problem" by Liu Cixin appx. 150 years in the future, the metadata of the "social media" (lmao) and personal implanted chips or credit cards of people are being used to find and kill people, via drones or the very technics we consider as luxurious nowadays – smarthome and internet of things.. just being used a bit differently.
The only thing i doubt is that it will take 150 years to become reality.

[Rockstar]

I have read (red) the report.

May I read (reed) the report

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Catfish

to read, read, read (pronounced to reed, red, red)

The pronounciation is what echoed in my mind since back in those schooldays, its what confused me.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Rockstar

Wowh. Those Chinese are always good for a surprise.

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Wowh. Those Chinese are always good for a surprise.

To weigh the good as well it doesn't set the countryside on fire like these do. lol