We don't have them. They'd have to come from Turkey.MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 26, 2022 8:03 amSo provide them.old salt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 10:07 pmI don't know if Ukraine has enough of the Turkish designed drones to make a difference. They made a deal with Turkey a few months ago to produce them in Ukraine. They've employed them in the fighting in the Donbass & they took out 1 artillery position. They're smaller, fly lower & slower, are more vulnerable & carry a less lethal weapon that the Hellfire missile fired by US made drones, which the US has been hesitant to supply for fear of proliferation.NattyBohChamps04 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 8:42 pmUkraine purchased a number of Turkish drones & weapons systems over the past year or so and are allegedly using them to good effect. If the combat footage is real, they're doing some decent damage to Russian forces & armor with them.MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:41 pmYou'd probably know better than I do, but I'm not talking about any need to "send in" our guys and gals from anywhere other than whatever base they're currently working from. I don't care if that's in Arizona. Sit the Ukrainian newbie operators in the chair next to them and tell 'em what to do each step of the way.old salt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:35 pmWe'd have to send in US service members &/or contractors. It's a capability that could maybe have been developed starting 6 mos ago, & that's a stretch.MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 5:12 pmyup, sit a Ukrainian in the chair next to an operator, let them work the controls and they knock off tanks.old salt wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 4:28 pmWeapons carrying drones -- not a capability that can be provided quickly. Requires operator & maintainer training & experience.MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 25, 2022 12:13 pm BTW, if we're willing to provide various weaponry and training to Ukrainian insurgents, at what point do we go to drones?
If we were doing so right now, letting Ukrainians operate them, a heck of a lot of tanks could be destroyed.
They are still combat aircraft.
Surely we have such assets near enough...
You also need intel & training to maintain situational awareness & to id targets. It is actually more challenging, in that regard, than operating a manned attack aircraft. It's not just plug & play.
Maybe there's a need for on the ground intel, but seems to me we can identify Russian tanks and convoys just fine from very far away. Right now that's what's needed to disrupt heavily the assumed easy roll by the Russians.
We're not talking about figuring out which building to hit to kill the enemy terrorist and not the civilians. that'd be a later stage, probably too late.
We use MQ-9 Reapers w/Hellfire missiles & 500# pgm bombs.
Way too sophisticated to maintain & operate to just give to Ukraine.