Death from above
Discussion
Why else would you build something like this, other than large payload delivery? I suppose it was only a matter of time before military UAV development moved into long range, high altitude strategic implements. Let’s hope these things don’t eventually become self aware…
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Full article >
Mave said:
LimaDelta said:
Any half-decent IRST would pick that up a metaphorical mile away.
I was just thinking that! Those exposed hot surfaces at the back are going to be... Hot!tracer.smart said:
Why else would you build something like this, other than large payload delivery? I suppose it was only a matter of time before military UAV development moved into long range, high altitude strategic implements. Let’s hope these things don’t eventually become self aware…
As the article you linked to says - it's a "loyal wingman" fighter style platform, something to carry a few more Air to Air (A-A) weapons which can be guided by its stealthy manned "boss" the Pak-Fa (SU-57) or the potentially new "Checkmake" etc which, to remain stealthy, can't carry the large number of A-A weapons that the SU-27/30/35 series family could. So to make up for that deficit these stealthy missile carriers were created, to increase the number of A-A missiles available.It's not "Long Range" like a bomber would be, it's only "High Altitude" in the same way every fighter can reach "High Altitude", it's hasn't got a "Large Payload" as it's just a pilot-less fighter aircraft with the payload of a "normal" fighter (actually a little less) and as it's a fighter I'm not sure you could call it "Strategic" in use either. It's certainly not similar to the B-2 or B21 in either size or role.
Mave said:
LimaDelta said:
Any half-decent IRST would pick that up a metaphorical mile away.
I was just thinking that! Those exposed hot surfaces at the back are going to be... Hot!https://www.twz.com/air/why-did-russia-just-shoot-...
Southerner said:
Is the general consensus that stuff this (supposedly) advanced coming out of Russia is actually any good, or is it all likely to be either very shonky or just complete b
ks?!
Well, you need to be a bit careful because in 1941 the Americans disregarded the Japs as little shortsighted people on who couldn't make decent stuff. It might be crap but never underestimate the enemy.ks?!Simpo Two said:
Southerner said:
Is the general consensus that stuff this (supposedly) advanced coming out of Russia is actually any good, or is it all likely to be either very shonky or just complete bks?!
Well, you need to be a bit careful because in 1941 the Americans disregarded the Japs as little shortsighted people on who couldn't make decent stuff. It might be crap but never underestimate the enemy.ks?!
Southerner said:
Is the general consensus that stuff this (supposedly) advanced coming out of Russia is actually any good, or is it all likely to be either very shonky or just complete bks?!
Their missile tech, for example, always used to be (!) at least equal to the US, and they've made hypersonics work*, but there's been a lot of vapourware coming out of Russia in the last decade.ks?!...but quality now depends on both production tolerances (low-observables won't be low observable with uneven panels / visible fixings etc.) and on the IT side of things (if Russia aren't getting chips from China (direct or via third parties), then they're probably not THAT great).
So I wouldn't write them off, but I'd treat these announcements with a shaker full of salt.
* albeit not with any apparent accuracy...presumably they've not been able to solve the EM interference issue from heating at such high speeds, making the missiles reliant on INS.
Southerner said:
Is the general consensus that stuff this (supposedly) advanced coming out of Russia is actually any good, or is it all likely to be either very shonky or just complete bks?!
I think they're also finding that in a long war over such a wide area like this one the quality doesn't really matter that much if the enemy has also run out of their high quality weapons. For example the Ukrainians don't seem to have many javelin anti-tank missiles left (I haven't seen any videos for ages) so if the Russians are attacking over a minefield towards half a dozen guys in a foxhole armed with rifles and grenades it doesn't matter if you send a brand new T-90M or a T-64 from the 1960s.ks?!The Ukrainians seem to be finding it with the FPV drones too - no point spending loads on fancy switchblades when you can mass-produce something that will do the job well enough as it doesn't matter if only a third of them manage to find anything to hit before getting jammed. You can search for "Ukrainian mass produced drones" and you'll see factories churning out cheap and cheerful drones by the millions (I'm not exaggerating, they make something like 3 million per year).
As we're doing quotes "perfection is the enemy of good enough".
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