More Russian drone harassment

[Thumpalumpacus]

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Russian fighter jet flew within a few meters of a U.S. drone over Syria and fired flares at it, striking the American aircraft and damaging it, the U.S. military said Tuesday, the latest in a string of aggressive intercepts by Russia in the region.

A senior Air Force commander said the move on Sunday was an attempt by the Russians to knock the MQ-9 Reaper drone out of the sky and came just a week after a Russian fighter jet flew dangerously close to a U.S. surveillance aircraft carrying a crew in the region, jeopardizing the lives of the four Americans on board.

"One of the Russian flares struck the U.S. MQ-9, severely damaging its propeller," Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, the head of U.S. Air Forces Central, said in a statement describing the latest close call. "We call upon the Russian forces in Syria to put an immediate end to this reckless, unprovoked, and unprofessional behavior."

A Russian fighter jet fired flares at a US drone over Syria and damaged it, the US military says

The U.S. military says a Russian fighter jet flew close to a U.S. drone over Syria and fired flares at it, striking the American aircraft and damaging it.

apnews.com

Part of me would like to see a few Reapers loaded with proximity-fused 5" shells. Get too close to its tail, and boom!

 

[MIflyer]

Part of me would like to see a few Reapers loaded with proximity-fused 5" shells. Get too close to its tail, and boom!

5 inch shell? Actually, Oppenheimer came up with an answer to that problem a while back.

In his words: "Nuclear weapons; when you care enough to send the very best."

Well, it was either him or Hallmark Cards, probably both of them.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Nah, just enough to disappear the fighter plane. "Gee, they must've collided."

 

[Snautzer01]

I would say a proximity fuze would fix that real quick indeed.

 

[MIflyer]

Hey! Just say it was not our fault. The Ruski collided with our drone and caused a warp core breach or something...

 

[jgreiner]

Hey! Just say it was not our fault. The Ruski collided with our drone and caused a warp core breach or something...

Seems to work every time. At least that's what the media thinks.

 

[manta22]

The old GI expression comes to mind, "Fuck around and find out!"

 

[yosimitesam]

Do you think that the controller "flying" such a drone is ever tempted, given the chance, to Kamikaze the Russian jet? The jet would be worth more ($) than the drone, I would think. Probably the difference in speeds and the fact that the Russian will be flying above the drone (maybe) would make it nearly impossible. Just a flight of fancy on my part but the mental image is just too compelling to ignore.

 

[SaparotRob]

I thinking that. I suppose a Reaper with Sidewinders might back 'em off a bit. I don't know how brave those pilots would be the Reaper can shoot back.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

Do you think that the controller "flying" such a drone is ever tempted, given the chance, to Kamikaze the Russian jet? The jet would be worth more ($) than the drone, I would think. Probably the difference in speeds and the fact that the Russian will be flying above the drone (maybe) would make it nearly impossible. Just a flight of fancy on my part but the mental image is just too compelling to ignore.

Yeah, I thought of that and you're right, the speed-differential is still probably too big (though in the video in the link I posted, you can see the Russian fighter is flying high AOA, implying lower speed) for human-controlled f**kery. I think proximity-fuse is the best little nasty surprise.

Another thing that just popped in my head: chaff- or flare-dispensers linked to tail-warning radar. "Gosh, we thought it was a missile coming at us, so we started spoofing! Sorry 'bout your bad luck."

 

[SaparotRob]

Yeah, I thought of that and you're right, the speed-differential is still probably too big (though in the video in the link I posted, you can see the Russian fighter is flying high AOA, implying lower speed) for human-controlled f**kery. I think proximity-fuse is the best little nasty surprise.

Another thing that just popped in my head: chaff- or flare-dispensers linked to tail-warning radar. "Gosh, we thought it was a missile coming at us, so we started spoofing! Sorry 'bout your bad luck."

That's even better!

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

That's even better!

Not gonna lie, Robbie, I prefer Colonel Mustard, over the Black Sea, with the 5" shell. It just has more gank to it.