Russia - threadbanned users in OP

aidanodr

Also from that CNN article I posted above this post:

“From what we’ve seen, some of it is they’re striking targets that need a lot of Western technology and Russia has a much more difficult time procuring this technology,”

Now thats clever

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978770#Comment_121978770

Terrifying to be honest. Right now they're being used by the good guys, but given how cheap and easy they seem to be to manufacture (compared to conventional weaponry), how long before the bad guys start exploiting them. In fact I'm surprised given the degradation of their resources, the Russians haven't turned to them more.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978822#Comment_121978822

Was about to say same: if this is true and AI is being used in this fashion then suddenly drones become exponentially more dangerous and potentially cataclysmic in a western world already struggling to live with terrorism - domestic or otherwise - always nipping at its heels. You could be looking at a situation where that former disgruntled student in the US, instead of walking into a school with a gun, can simply pilot a drone into his classroom from the comfort of his bedroom, without anyone noticing before its too late.

When the dust settles, we could see a ramping up of drone & AI legislation to put some functional limits on the things. For sure we might be seeing the end of the era when you can just buy a drone from the internet alongside your groceries.

aidanodr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978822#Comment_121978822

"In fact I'm surprised given the degradation of their resources, the Russians haven't turned to them more."

Russia having "dumb" drones using moped engines is one thing .. like the Iran Shaheed drones. But I imagine fully AI controlled autonomous Drones is another level altogether tech wise & would need Western Hi end tech that Russia cannot access due to sanctions .. but Ukraine has full access to.

And yes, terrifying. Ukraine rewriting modern warfare with essential experience of same that counts. With experience even the most advanced militaries ( eg US Army ) dont have. As you said issue is WHEN likes of ISIS and Al Queda etc get there hands on this type of long range tech. I am surprised that has not happened yet. This is why Macron/France are really fearful for the Olympics in Paris this summer

aidanodr

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978858#Comment_121978858

Just to be clear about the AI. Ukraine has basically packed a whole computer into a drone with full GPS info normally aquired from a satellite via GPS. So no more need for traceable GPS on board a drone. Completely self sufficient. Knows the terrain and direction of travel its flying over without any external assistance. A self drive drone so to speak. No remote "pilot" required.

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978882#Comment_121978882

So, and even worse proposition cos a GPS blackout around schools (a non starter but still) won't stop them & if it's self sufficient good luck with the authorities tracing back the owner til they claim responsibility, cos the rubble and ruined drone will probably yield nothing.

Yeah. If drones don't become highly regulated items by the decade's end, all because of these insanely possible use cases, I'll be shocked. Great to see Ukraine punching above their weight at the barbarians at their gates - but the future of these things looks scary.

victor8600

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978822#Comment_121978822

That is why it is all more important to ensure that Ukraine wins soon. The longer the war drags on, the more prolific these weapons are becoming. It is only a matter of time before ISIS starts to send 3000km drones out.

Paddigol

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978860#Comment_121978860

I'd be very surprised if for components like this Russia can't source from China. It's not like the West have a monopoly on tech innovation and production… almost the opposite if anything.

RGARDINR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978858#Comment_121978858

Once it happens once in a western country by terrorists and I'm sure it will then you will see massive clamp downs on who can purchase drones etc. Imagine some terrorist used it let's say in England on a live premiership game or say when the king is at Buckingham Palace waving to the public. I can see something mad like that happening someday with drones.

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978700#Comment_121978700

Putin's palaces. With the golden toilets, that would be fantastic.

If we cannot defend his own palaces it would really make him look weak.

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121976890#Comment_121976890

Yes I would.

I wouldn't consider it necessarily as "Ukraine tax" but rather a Defence tax. This is in Ireland's interests. A strong and safe EU is in Ireland's interests.

We are known as free-loaders when it comes to defence spending, I think there are other threads on this.

IdHidden

From the FT

Russia hitting EU trains etc.

Russian attempts to destabilise European energy infrastructure have been well documented but interference in transport networks has been less discussed.

The EU Agency for Cybersecurity published its first report on threats to transport in March last year. It said there had been “attacks against railway companies with an increasing rate, primarily due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine”. 

It noted major cyber attacks by “pro-Russia hacker groups” on railway companies in Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Estonia.

The Czech cyber security agency, NUKIB, has warned of rising cyber attacks in recent years. “One of the last year’s prominent trends has been the growing interest of malicious attackers in the energy and transportation sectors,” it said in a report published in July.

České dráhy said it had “seen an increased number of cyber attacks on our digital infrastructure” and was “continuously strengthening” its cyber security.

Prague has become increasingly hawkish on Russian influence campaigns after it approved a law in 2022 that allows the government to take measures against foreign entities suspected of violating human rights or cyber crimes.

EltonJohn69

Reports from the guardian:

20 members of Morozovsk airfield personnel killed or injured, Kyiv says

RGARDINR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979478#Comment_121979478

I wonder if a lot were pilots.

Brussels Sprout

I read Mike Martin's excellent book "How to Fight a War" last year. This is the book's epilogue which is very relevant to the conversation above:

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979119#Comment_121979119

Even though it's a case of when not if, you'd also wonder why it hasn't been done by now; or at least tried. Maybe not hitting its target but a drone blowing up over London would be headline news, even if it didn't reach Buckingham. Unless it's an ideological block & your typical Muslim terrorist considers them an dishonourable form of attack, still favouring suicide or "in person" assaults. But that still leaves plenty of terrorist grouping who'd (presumably) be more than happy at taking a shot at X from the comfort of their sofa.

Dick phelan

This war will be studied by military analysts for years to come. The fact that 40% of Russia's black sea fleet was destroyed not by an opposition Navy but by Drones. I think it will really have many countries reevaluating where they put their military focus and questioning how valuable some of their shiny toys really are.

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979568#Comment_121979568

wait till they start using the lasers….

RGARDINR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979558#Comment_121979558

To be fair I wouldn't be surprised if it's in the works. Like why do a suicide bomb on a bus when you could have a few drones doing the same. Technically you could just have 1 terrorist and they have multiple drones set up. If there in the middle of say London you could technically have a drones go and hit Buckingham Palace, big Ben, Westminster all in the space of a few mins or seconds laced with explosives. I think we will see this happen and I say stuff like this is in the works. I say its just a matter of when sadly. Not just militaries are looking at what drones can do now since the conflict in Ukraine, you will have terrorist organisations looking big time into these and even your mad nutter type person.

RGARDINR

I honestly can see ships instead of mine ships just be drone ships with tons of sea borne drones in the ship. Imagine for example China put a ship in the mid Pacific and it had just sea borne drones say the likes that Ukraine have been using to launch that say could go up to 500 miles and attack for instance American reinforcements coming to say Taiwans aid. Just the drones in the mid Pacific on standby waiting for enemy ships to be in the vicinity and they go after them and try and sink them. Be carnage.

thomil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121979914#Comment_121979914

I can't really see that happening anytime soon, perhaps not ever. A similar line of thinking was followed when the very first torpedo boats came along. There were actual torpedo boat carriers in the late 19th century, operating along the same principles that you just outlined, until it turned out that the concept just didn't work. By the time torpedo boats were truly oceangoing, they had morphed into what we now call a destroyer.

Those maritime drones are very powerful weapons, no doubt about that, but they're not really a deep-ocean weapon. They're small and likely wouldn't stand up to open ocean conditions very well. They're also not invisible to radar and sensors and when there's no land to mess around with radar returns, even small contacts can be picked up rather easily. A navy that's actually competent should be able to deal with this type of threat relatively easy in the open ocean.

That being said, they can be absolutely lethal in enclosed waters such as the Black Sea, or in narrow choke points such as the Bad el Mandeb, the Straits of Hormuz or the Malacca Strait. Not much space to maneuver, generally calm waters and lots of islands and local shipping to create a confused radar picture, not to mention an absolute cacophony on sonar. And I can see countries like the Philippines or Indonesia making use of them, as they generally lack the resources to effectively patrol their territorial waters with conventional warships. Having a couple dozen maritime drones available for each naval sector/district/whatever command could end up being a headache for any potential aggressors, with relatively little resource expenditure.

TheValeyard

UAF another strike

Edit: or more success from the same strike but different airfield?

https://twitter.com/Maks_NAFO_FELLA/status/1776253595819598179

RGARDINR

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980080#Comment_121980080

Thank you well said. I shall take my claim back so.

ilkhanid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121978858#Comment_121978858

Classroom indeed. Or worse-into a music venue or a football stadium. As is often the case in the worlds of war and terrorism, fiction is ahead of the reality. I believe '24' prophesied a terrorist attack on an urban target using a drone.

Hawkeye123

Well, the propagandists claim Irish reunification would cost 20 billion a year for 20 years and cause us a lot of hardship.

If that's true, the cost of unification of Ukraine would be astronomical. Besides, the EU would help us like they helped Germany. The president is there.

It wouldn't cost 1%of that anyway.

pixelburp

Bizarre story: a US city councillor, currently wanted for possessing sexually explicitly photos of a minor, has fled the country and signed up to fight with Russia.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/05/fugitive-former-us-city-councillor-enlists-with-russia-for-war-in-ukraine

EltonJohn69

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980360#Comment_121980360

he has just got himself a death sentence

Economics101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980327#Comment_121980327

This must be the most deranged post yet on this thread. What connection is there between Ukraine and the status of Northern Ireland?

nigeldaniel

Well, looks like my favourite youtube anti Putin channel will soon shut down. The 'dude' [not the name of his channel] is at the end of his nerve due to massive numbers of reports made against him. His sure the you know who's in Russia are to blame. I will miss him he was very entertaining guy. His is not the only channel on YouTube facing shut down.

zv2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121980327#Comment_121980327

Apparently Ukraine is potentially very rich if the country develops its resources.