Gatwick closed (mod note post 1)

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Wanderer2010 wrote: »

Ill admit I haven't read all of this thread but my initial reaction to this was "Why on earth is it taking them so long to find out who is operating these drones?". We have some amazing technology out there with regards satellites, signal tracing etc and yet here is the army, and all the associated costs that it brings, coming in to sweep the area and still not actually finding the source. Its embarrassing to witness- a few scumbags grinding a massive airport to a complete halt because they want to cause trouble with drones? Obviously the technology isn't as good as I thought, it looks really bad for the airport that they haven't caught these idiots.

The thing is that law enforcement and military heavily relies on the illusion of technology / power. They may have the technology but probably not easily available at any place at any time.. but it doesn’t need to be if the population believes that it is this applies to a lot, as long as the population thinks something is the case it’s all good - but in reality it may not be ‘that easy’.

Fact is that modern drones are hard to take down, they’re small, agile and very fast. Many vendors require registration of drones but there are kits to build your own drones. Keep in mind as well that there are drones with insane range, even 3/4G connected meaning they could be controlled from another country, just need someone to physically put them out and then someone else takes over the control.

Mike9832

Why don't they take it down with some hit to kill missile tracking system?

Those ones u see in the movies

Surely that tech exists?

Cockford Ollie

So much expertise in this thread. You should all really send your CVs over to the MoD.

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Mike9832 wrote: »

Why don't they take it down with some hit to kill missile tracking system?

Those ones u see in the movies

Surely that tech exists?

This usually involves sending a missile towards the incoming missile and having it explode next to the incoming one... obviously this is not a great idea around a crowded area unless absolutely necessary (=incoming missile would cause more damage than a potential misfire or debris from the counter measure)

Tabnabs

robinph wrote: »

Conspiracy theory alert: It has stopped the media from covering the fact that parliament went on holiday two days ago which would have resulted in the media stood outside Westminster asking each MP they could get their hands on why they were not back in work and trying to sort out the mess.

What are you talking about, both houses of British Parliament sat yesterday, as they normally do in any working week?

https://calendar.parliament.uk/calendar/Commons/All/2018/12/20/Daily

robinph

Tabnabs wrote: »

What are you talking about, both houses of British Parliament sat yesterday, as they normally do in any working week?

https://calendar.parliament.uk/calendar/Commons/All/2018/12/20/Daily

Everything I'd seen the day before was about them skiving off from Wednesday. Clearly some disinformation going on somewhere. :eek:

Wheres Me Jumper?

Britian seems to be lurching from one "crisis" to another.
It's as if they have replaced America as the planet's Drama Queen in chief, where everyday issues are amplified and exaggerated and real problems are ignored.

Is this what happens people who have more money than sense in a 24/7/365 online news culture?
Do we have invent problems to remind us we are still alive?

seamus

Mike9832 wrote: »

Why don't they take it down with some hit to kill missile tracking system?

Those ones u see in the movies

Surely that tech exists?

Most missiles (SAMs and AAMs anyway) are proximity detonated. Primarily because it's hard to score a direct hit on a target which can move in 3 dimensions (a vehicle by contrast can for all intents and purposes only move in 2 dimensions).

In order to make a proximity detonation more effective, the warhead is loaded with loose shrapnel which tears the target apart.

Obviously this also involves a very large explosive; the shrapnel leaves the warhead at bullet speeds.

This is "OK" when done at 2,000m and above. But a couple of hundred metres above a civilian airfield, it'll destroy the drone alright, shatter every window in the terminal facing the explosion and kill or seriously injure any humans standing in the open within 1km of the detonation.

A "mini-SAM" for the purposes of destroying drones could be developed, but they don't exist at present. And given how fragile drones are, it would be cheaper to just use other drones to crash into the target and take it down.

Why this wasn't done yesterday, I have no idea.

BarryD2

Michael Healy Rae on with Sean O'Rourke this morning,says they should've given him a call and he'd take the drone down with his shotgun! One shot for himself or his clay pigeon shooting pals. Not unbelievable

dhaughton99

Someone on LBC radio just now came up with a great idea. Just send another drone to sacrifice itself or just to follow it til it’s battery dies.

dhaughton99

Wheres Me Jumper? wrote: »

Britian seems to be lurching from one "crisis" to another.
It's as if they have replaced America as the planet's Drama Queen in chief, where everyday issues are amplified and exaggerated and real problems are ignored.

Is this what happens people who have more money than sense in a 24/7/365 online news culture?
Do we have invent problems to remind us we are still alive?

You’ve been watching Adam Curtis documentaries again, haven’t you?

realdanbreen

Cockford Ollie wrote: »

So much expertise in this thread. You should all really send your CVs over to the MoD.

Looking at the way the MOD are handling this the same CV that would get you into Tesco's would be good enough to send!

robinph

dhaughton99 wrote: »

Someone on LBC radio just now came up with a great idea. Just send another drone to sacrifice itself or just to follow it til it’s battery dies.

...and that wouldn't have taken a great deal of effort to arrange at short notice. Even if the police don't have their own drone they are willing/ able to sacrifice a couple of phone calls to the local drone pilots and someone will happily fly theirs on a kamikazi mission with the promise of a new one being in the post for them a couple of days later. They just sit around the airport and wait, then chase it down, record the video, crash...new drone for christmas from the Police and a happy airport giving you access to their posh business lounge on your next flight.

Wanderer2010

We can send a man to the moon but cant intercept a flying toy over one of the busiest airports on the planet. Embarrassing now matter which way you spin it...

AlphabetCards

realdanbreen wrote: »

Looking at the way the MOD are handling this the same CV that would get you into Tesco's would be good enough to send!

It is not part of the MoDs remit.

As for the mini-SAM, well thats just not gonna happen. Small solid rocket fuel motors just arent capable of lifting themselves and a tracking and guidance package.

Directed energy weapons would be best.

Question I have is, why is there no footage of the drone?

realdanbreen

realdanbreen wrote: »

I agree. Drones appear, close the airport, then drones are gone! The authorities are now acting in a 'nothing to see here' manner and the police have also clammed up.

I reckon some hi tech nerdy guys are a few million quid richer today or, more likely, some kid operating from his moms basement is €500 richer!

dhaughton99

realdanbreen wrote: »

I reckon some hi tech nerdy guys are a few million quid richer today or, more likely, some kid operating from his moms basement is €500 richer!

Bitcoin is made for this. I’m sure someone with knowledge of the bitcoin ledger could see a transaction if the ransom is big enough.

mickmackey1

Guys get real, there were no drones involved here. Anyone who believes the official line is hopelessly gullible.

Wheres Me Jumper?

dhaughton99 wrote: »

You’ve been watching Adam Curtis documentaries again, haven’t you?

No but I will check them out.

They seem to me to be in a perpetual state of near-panic.
Putin must be wetting himself everytime he looks at SkyNews.

run_Forrest_run

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Guys get real, there were no drones involved here. Anyone who believes the official line is hopelessly gullible.

go on, tell us more..

Wheres Me Jumper?

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Guys get real, there were no drones involved here. Anyone who believes the official line is hopelessly gullible.

here we go.
interplanetary visitors?

i knew it wouldn't be long before the little green men with the oversized heads made an appearance.

Alun

Have I wandered into the Conspiracy Theories forum by mistake?

Cockford Ollie

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Guys get real, there were no drones involved here. Anyone who believes the official line is hopelessly gullible.

Hopelessly gullible would more describe people following the alien narrative or some other crack pot theories.

Hotblack Desiato

This thread is a great example of what happens when a serious thread ends up consistently on the front page of Boards and the mouth-breathers swarm in. It ain't pretty and it doesn't reflect well on society at all.

L1011

mickmackey1 wrote: »

Guys get real, there were no drones involved here. Anyone who believes the official line is hopelessly gullible.

This is neither AH nor Conspiracy Theories and this level of posting is not acceptable here. Do not post like this again

Wheres Me Jumper?

i did read about a theory that as a species we have evolved to become used to a certain level of uncertainty and stress. you know dinosaurs, earthquakes, tsunamis etc.

but in the absence of this stress, as in our cosy warm middle-class homes, well/over fed, no more dinosaurs, we invent it.

it's as if we become stressed about not being stressed.

Mint Sauce

dhaughton99 wrote: »

Someone on LBC radio just now came up with a great idea. Just send another drone to sacrifice itself or just to follow it til it’s battery dies.

That was bought up on thursday morning, that Gatwick would have their own Drone and crash in to it.

The raining debris was an arguememt against it use. I had two arguements against that, one similar to shooting it down, put a media announement on all platforms and this is being done, and also, dont Runway staff do a sweep between takeoffs anyway to check for debris. Surley closing the runway for an hour or so, to send sweepers down to clear up the mess, is better than leaving it closed for near 48 hrs.

Shoot/Crash it down, WHILST hunting for the operator, is surely better than waiting for it to reappear again.

Jimbob1977

Maybe a naive suggestion....

Send up a helicopter with some form of taser or beanbag gun (non-lethal weapons used on humans).

Get as close as you can and knock it out of the sky

Wheres Me Jumper?

we dont need to introduce ET & his pals into the discussion.
we all know there are more than ample number of commoner-garden idiots out there.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/27/laser-attacks-heathrow-aircraft

Att vara en hest

I think a lot of people here have the wrong idea of what a modern drone looks like.. they can be quite small and incredibly fast / agile. It’s not that easy to just “shoot one down” or crash another drone in to it, if piloted by a skillful driver they’re not going to be able to easily take it down.

Airports still have problems with birds... this is smaller, faster, less predictable and not scared of anything. The main way to stop this is to find the pilot or cut the communication channel, the drone is almost unstoppable in the right (or wrong I guess) hands.