Russian invasion of Ukraine

[Breccia]

It could be something as simple as the batteries in the drones not working in below zero temperatures.

Some commercial drones (like the DJI drones used by Ukrainians) made for wide distribution solve this particular issue by having batteries that keep themselves warm.

Drone propellers also get covered in ice ridiculously fast if you try to fly them in cloudy weather when it is below zero weather. My DJI drone fell out of the sky after less than 30 seconds of taking off in -3 degrees Celsius weather with mist/low hanging clouds because the propellers were icing up immediately.

All valid points. Aviation is a complex science indeed.

increased desperation

Let's not undersell this point, either.

[Yunru]

All valid points. Aviation is a complex science indeed.



Let's not undersell this point, either.

They use this engine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotax_914

https://www.technology.org/2022/10/2...trian-engines/

Probaly something in engine frezzes and prevents those drones from flying. Russans are probaly not protecting them from cold.

[Flarelaine]

A touch on some cultural aspects of this conflict.

[Forogil]

Immediately made me think of this: https://twitter.com/ReciteSocial/sta...F1J2MI1Kp5EKXg

"The video in question shows a Ukrainian soldier dismantling an Orlan-10 drone utilized by Russian forces. The drone appears to have been cobbled together from various civilian technologies, such as a handheld Canon DSLR serving as the drone's camera. The video also shows access to the drone's fuel tank in the form of the top of a water bottle and its lid.

Visible across the surface of the drone are also large swathes of duct tape. Despite drones constituting a significant portion of military operations, in this case surveillance, but also in delivering deadly payloads, it seems some of the drones in use are not as sophisticated as one might think."

https://www.tweaktown.com/news/85701...ine/index.html (video of a Russian drone

Note that the drones suffer rapid attrition in the war, https://static.rusi.org/359-SR-Ukrai...-web-final.pdf (RUSI is Royal United Services Institute ... in the UK).

The average life expectancy of a quadcopter remained around three flights. The average life expectancy of a fixed-wing UAV was around six flights....In aggregate, only around a third of UAV missions can be said to have been successful.

Basically, Russia have run out of most of the good drones, and there's a shift towards cheap and expendable drones for both sides (well, and one Global Hawk just doing its thing).

[Deus Mortis]

Note that the drones suffer rapid attrition in the war, https://static.rusi.org/359-SR-Ukrai...-web-final.pdf (RUSI is Royal United Services Institute ... in the UK).

Basically, Russia have run out of most of the good drones, and there's a shift towards cheap and expendable drones for both sides (well, and one Global Hawk just doing its thing).

It always surprises me how big the Global Hawk actually is.

[Poopymonster]

It always surprises me how big the Global Hawk actually is.

Name misleading. It maybe somewhat "hawk" shaped but it is not shaped like a global, nor is it's wingspan "global" in length.
1/10, Stretched Armstrong would have been better.

[Gabriel]

Name misleading. It maybe somewhat "hawk" shaped but it is not shaped like a global, nor is it's wingspan "global" in length.
1/10, Stretched Armstrong would have been better.

I was thinking Bladed Xenomorph.

[jonnysensible]

Note that the drones suffer rapid attrition in the war, https://static.rusi.org/359-SR-Ukrai...-web-final.pdf (RUSI is Royal United Services Institute ... in the UK).

Basically, Russia have run out of most of the good drones, and there's a shift towards cheap and expendable drones for both sides (well, and one Global Hawk just doing its thing).

hey cheap drones are the future, the future of terrorism as well

[Corvus]

The US DoD has put in a slightly large order for ammunition stocks, including 864K 155mm rounds, 12k Excalibur 155m rounds, 28k Javelins, 700 more HIMARs, plus 1700 ATACMS and 106K GMLRS rockets for them, and a whole bunch of air, sea and ground missiles. They are stocking up.

[Shadowferal]

Griner: Russia frees US basketball star in swap with arms dealer Bout

US and Russia have exchanged jailed US basketball star Brittney Griner for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, held in an American prison for 12 years.

The swap was approved by President Joe Biden in recent days, sources told CBS.

[YUPPIE]

Unsurprisingly, everyone is slamming this trade deal. Knowing what Griner did, people were just content to let her rot after a while and there was little sympathy left.

This will probably destroy any goodwill left for Biden considering the person traded isn't just some hoodlum, but a high-profile arms dealer terrorist right into Russia's hands. Also, the fact he's bargaining or dealing with Russia at all, compromising America's motto of not negotiating with terrorists.

[Shadowferal]

Unsurprisingly, everyone is slamming this trade deal. .

You mean to say, you are slamming this trade.

[Elder Millennial]

Unsurprisingly, everyone is slamming this trade deal. Knowing what Griner did, people were just content to let her rot after a while and there was little sympathy left.

You mean racists, boomers and Republicans are slamming this deal.

What exactly did Griner do? Something mildly stupid like travelling with a couple of weed vape cartridges. Yeah, sure some countries are backwards hellholes where they'll execute you for this, but having a young woman rot away in a Russian labor camp for a couple of vape cartridges was not anyone decent was content with.

Look, whether trading an arms dealer for any reason was a good idea or not is an entirely different conversation.

[Canpinter]

If I'm reading the new right the arms dealer has been in prison for over a decade, at this point any business/contacts he had are probably useless so it's not that huge if a risk letting him go.

[Gorsameth]

Yeah the criticism is over releasing Bout, who is a bad person that should spend the rest of his life in prison, not about making a trade for Griner.

[YUPPIE]

What exactly did Griner do? Something mildly stupid like travelling with a couple of weed vape cartridges..

the problem was it was entirely her own doing. There were conspiracy theories of if she was incriminated by Russians...but those were debunked, and she was just fucking stupid.

So with that in mind, trading someone like Griner for an arms dealer so notorious he is known as "the merchant of death" is horrible. There's no doubt about that.

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If I'm reading the new right the arms dealer has been in prison for over a decade, at this point any business/contacts he had are probably useless so it's not that huge if a risk letting him go.

It's a huge risk because Russia specifically asked for him.

[Canpinter]

It's a huge risk because Russia specifically asked for him.

He's most likely a friend or family member of someone in the Russian government. An arms dealt who's been in jail for a decade wont have much in the way of a business or product to sell.

[Shadowferal]

the problem was it was entirely her own doing. There were conspiracy theories of if she was incriminated by Russians...but those were debunked, and she was just fucking stupid.
So with that in mind, trading someone like Griner for an arms dealer so notorious he is known as "the merchant of death" is horrible. There's no doubt about that.

Really?
Hmm...and your complaint against Biden...

The problem with Griner is time is running out. Sure he didn't outright say fuck em, but he knows what the Russians do (i.e, torture) and how this is blackmail with that in mind.

...rather disingenuous...

'Devastated' family of American prisoner backs Griner deal

[YUPPIE]

He's most likely a friend or family member of someone in the Russian government. An arms dealt who's been in jail for a decade wont have much in the way of a business or product to sell.

But why deal with Russians at all? Why cater to anything they ask or demand? I mean, it's already been designated a terror state by others lately.

And all the while, Biden keeps this rhetoric of how Putin is a "killer" and how he'd rather never talk to him unless he surrenders. If that's just all for PR, this seems like a huge misstep to keeping it up.

[Gabriel]

the problem was it was entirely her own doing. There were conspiracy theories of if she was incriminated by Russians...but those were debunked, and she was just fucking stupid.

So with that in mind, trading someone like Griner for an arms dealer so notorious he is known as "the merchant of death" is horrible. There's no doubt about that.

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It's a huge risk because Russia specifically asked for him.

If he was such a horrible person, he should have been Mossad'd, rather than be kept as a prisoner. Trading such a pos for an innocent person is infinitely more moral than just continuing to house him in some facility and letting a (dumb) american rot in russian rape camp.

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But why deal with Russians at all? Why cater to anything they ask or demand?

Because you can free an innocent American that way.