Defense against UAV's

wrote:

Regardless of the accuracy of this particular account, it is true that
UAVs pose a new problem for navies and armies, especially in the
smaller versions. Defensive systems are generally designed to detect
and destroy much bigger and more obvious targets, and even if they
manage to spot a small UAV, what would be used to shoot it down?

With due respect I don't understand the argument fully in a naval
context. Surely a modern anti-ship missile is much more difficult
target, after all? In general they have small RCS towards target, they
fly very low and very fast. Furthermore their signature can be reduced
even further if design effort is put upon the problem. If we are
talking about small UAV used for anti-ship duties it's either a very
slow and small ASM or it can carry only a very limited payload.

On the other hand, for reconnaissance and target acquisition an UAV is
very good for naval environment as well.

Mvh,
Jon K

wrote:
With due respect I don't understand the argument fully in a naval
context. Surely a modern anti-ship missile is much more difficult
target, after all? In general they have small RCS towards target, they
fly very low and very fast. Furthermore their signature can be reduced
even further if design effort is put upon the problem. If we are
talking about small UAV used for anti-ship duties it's either a very
slow and small ASM or it can carry only a very limited payload.

The speed is the key. Most radars are programmed to filter out small
returns that aren't moving very fast, because its probably a bird.

If you get a small return, but its moving at Mach 2, that's a pretty
good indicator that you are not tracking a bird. Also, any inbound ASM
is going to have a visible heat signature as well, especailly the newer
supersonic ones.

Therein lies the problem with a UAV, the radar system ignores it
because its too slow.

Airyx wrote:
Therein lies the problem with a UAV, the radar system ignores it
because its too slow.

That lasts only as long as it takes to recognize the potential threat
that little, slow UAVs could pose. I can't imagine that developing a
new algorithm to pick out non-avian flight patterns would be that
tricky. I doubt that there are many birds that follow as linear and
consistent a flight pattern as your average UAV, and a cheap
lightweight UAV won't be able to spoof the behavior of a seabird.

Jeb wrote:
Airyx wrote:
Therein lies the problem with a UAV, the radar system ignores it
because its too slow.

That lasts only as long as it takes to recognize the potential threat
that little, slow UAVs could pose. I can't imagine that developing a
new algorithm to pick out non-avian flight patterns would be that
tricky. I doubt that there are many birds that follow as linear and
consistent a flight pattern as your average UAV, and a cheap
lightweight UAV won't be able to spoof the behavior of a seabird.


There is an upper limit on the number of targets a radar can track. A
thousand aircraft would be a large force but a thousand birds is a small
flock.

Andrew Swallow